The benefits of every idea do not always justify the costs..since almost every mass transit project ends up being funded by taxpayers (that never would even use them).

Florida is a great example: There was an initiative to build a high speed train between Disney World (Orlando) and Tampa. The project would have cost Floridians billions of dollars, at a time when the state was struggling beneath a budget deficit.

"Construction of the line was slated to begin in 2011, with the initial Tampa-Orlando phase completed by 2014.[3] On February 16, 2011, Florida Governor Rick Scott formally announced that he would be rejecting federal funds to construct the high-speed railway, thereby killing the Florida High Speed Rail project. Governor Scott's reasoning behind cancelling the project was that it would be "far too costly to taxpayers" and that "the risk far outweigh[ed] the benefits"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_Hig...

A Republican governor with the business sense to see a 'pig in a poke'.

Common sense "1"...unneeded technology "0".

cool. the infrastructure is huge compared to air travel. seems also like a mass transit idea-which means the govt would be on board :)

Elon Musk... has my support. Let's get on with it...

If it ever gets built its speed will make up for all the wasted time getting to 2nd base with TSA.

Interesting he's not going to patent it. That could be a very good thing and maybe be done without the government getting involved. Yeah, I do like to dream.

The full monty here:
http://www.teslamotors.com/blog/hyperloo...