NAACP Joins Coalition for First U.S. Maglev Route

July 1, 2019 (EIRNS)—The Baltimore Sun of June 28 reported that the Maryland state NAACP, headed by Wandra Ashley-Williams, has endorsed and joined the promotion of the project to construct a magnetic levitation rail line from Washington to New York, and will organize for it in minority communities as a high-technology job-training and job-creation opportunity. The group will be pushing especially for the Maryland section of the proposed maglev line that will go from Washington to Baltimore.

The NAACP will work with the Northeast Maglev company, which is pursuing the environmental impact statement and the federal funding for the project. The Japanese government has, for years, offered $5 billion in partial funding, which is planned to use Japanese maglev trainset technology. The line would slash travel times to one hour between Washington and New York, and one-quarter hour for the Washington-Baltimore route. Northeast Maglev says building this section of the maglev route will create 74,000 construction jobs and 1,500 permanent jobs.

The Sun reports the new ultra-high-speed corridor is being actively opposed by a Bowie, Maryland outfit called Citizens Against the SC Maglev Coalition, which claims—not surprisingly—that it will disturb the environment and displace homeowners. This group is trying to instigate minority communities against the maglev project, which the NAACP’s activities will help to counter. The actual route in Maryland is underground, along the Baltimore-Washington Parkway right of way.