| Public policy issues surrounding technology development and implementation of high-speed magnetic levitation (maglev) transportation were examined. A multi-methodological approach was formulated and used to assess the major issues from several perspectives.;The findings reveal a significant intercity congestion problem in which maglev could alleviate a major portion of the air traffic in corridors of 100 to 600 miles. The advanced development stage of the Japanese and German systems will keep maglev technology on the legislative agenda for implementation of their technology and as a stimulus for a U.S. technology development effort. However, in the absence of a catalyzing event, the establishment of a maglev policy will likely follow an incremental approach.;Traditional planning techniques were used to assess the nature and extent of any intercity transportation capacity problems. The characteristics and development status of several U.S., Japanese, and German maglev prototypes were determined and an economic analysis was performed to identify the critical parameters, as well as potential financial viability. Lastly, an analysis of the factors influencing public policy formulation was conducted using a modified interest group model. |
