The Hyper-Line

So far, all of my posts have centered on merely land analysis, the past and present, and not the future. I hope this post capsizes that theory about my supposedly "one-sided" historical affinity with some envisionings of what is yet to arise.

If you do not know, I operate a YouTube channel called WEBEO Transportation in which I draw out possible thoroughfares between urban areas. Just this last week, I published a video on a possible route for Elon Musk's Hyperloop system connecting San Francisco with Los Angeles.

Since my early childhood days, drawings of roadways and railways have injured my white cube of a room. In an effort to bulldoze this mess into the future (both literally onto the computer and virtually into future proposals), I began to draw lines on Google Earth representing how our world's transportation infrastructure could be fixed. This particular example was an extension of the Hyperloop proposal, essentially a scaled up version of that mail tube you probably got used to in your local bank. Though, to qualify a bit, it is not mere paper that goes WHEEEE, but actual human beings!

But imagine getting on a roller coaster just to reach Redifer or the Hub? That ain't going to fly. What this geographically and geometrically translates to is that the "HyperLOOP" is in reality more of a "HyperLINE" with the number of significant turns numerable in one hand.

And guess what? All curves of the line have been laid out. Note that this is only my opinion and I strive with disagreement and continual improvement.

The vacuum tube starts in San Francisco, just below the Embarcadero BART subway station. Everything from that Golden Gate picture to sweet chocolate at (sorry, Hershey) Ghirardelli Square are a paper airplane's flight away. From the city of hills (which any high-speed suction system would be in constant war with), the tube continues underground until it parallels the existing commuter railway line (yes, there are legitimate passenger trains in America). The next stop along this line, after an almost Airplane takeoff sequence 300 mph, 5 meters above the ground, is San Jose, near where probably your "iconic" cellphone or laptop originated from.

After San Jose, the tube continues casting a shadow on the existing railway line, both literally and philosophically, until just north of Gilroy, where it dives into the first of two tunnels and then enters the Central Valley of California (note that WE ARE the central valley of PA, in comparison). The top speed of 1000 mph is reached as the tube floats over the overly-potholed Interstate 5 that makes even a drive into State College seem pleasant.

The tunnel of "Dis-Discovery?"

At least the capsules will pass through the valley in less time than it takes to read my rhetorical analysis paper for English class. Before you know it, you are diving down into another tunnel of mystery, yet exploration into a new dimension of our world not discovered before. Now granted, that only takes you to LA in a mere 8 minutes, so your discoveries of California bedrock will be rather limited.

But hey, there are caves for such excursions. The "HyperLINE" is built for pure speed and nothing else. It will force humanity to enjoy the rich history of our destinations, but at the same time bypassing the left-out villages that had something truly unique to offer. But that's a topic for another post.