“Roads? Where we are going we don’t need roads.” These famous words by the beloved Doc Brown in “Back To The Future” may soon become a reality with Colorado’s proposed hyperloop. The hyperloop backed by Virgin Hyperloop is projected to create immense profits and growth for Colorado. Their design is a “pod encased in a vacuum-sealed tube” that will ship people off at speeds of up to 700 mph. Arrivo, a similar company, is creating their own hyperloop that makes use of a “combination of magnetic levitation and electric propulsion,” but it will not be nearly as fast as Virgin Hyperloop’s design. This technology will cut travel times all around Colorado in half. Those who oppose the hyperloop cite safety concerns and expenses, but they ignore the economic effects it could have. The hyperloop debate is one of futurization versus apprehension.
The hyperloop will greatly reduce travel times between cities and generate tons of revenue. It is projected to create upwards of two billion dollars a year. It will be able to ship people off at speeds of 700 mph. A trip from Pueblo to Denver will go from an hour and 45-minute drive to a 15-minute ride. It is expected to handle as many as 45 million trips in a year. The building and operation of the hyperloop will create hundreds of jobs in Colorado, and with its completion create a quick and easy way to move goods and people all around Colorado.
Those who oppose the hyperloop claim that the cost is too great and it is too dangerous. The cost would, in fact, be pretty large. It is estimated to cost as much as 24 billion dollars. However, if it can actually create two billion dollars a year then that 24 billion can be paid off in a mere 12 years. Safety concerns obviously arise when someone proposes to ship people at 700 mph in a vacuum sealed tunnel, but concerns also arose when someone proposed that we send a man to the moon. Technology will progress, and while safety is important, it cannot halt the future. By the time it is ready in 2040, it will have gone through countless safety inspections and tests that will prove its viability as an everyday transport system.
When it comes to the hyperloop debate, the positives greatly outweigh the negatives. An influx of cash will flood Colorado due to its construction and operation. The large state of Colorado will be traversed in mere minutes, making it very easy to move goods and people. This technology almost seems like a pipe dream, but it is a reality that could soon grace this great state.
