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Let’s look at the actual text of the article. “Toronto-based startup TransPod has signed a memorandum of understanding with the government to study the potenti

Let’s look at the actual text of the article. “Toronto-based startup TransPod has signed a memorandum of understanding with the government to study the potential of a high-speed hyperloop system and help it attract investors.” And let’s translate that from polite Canadian PR speak: this will never, ever, ever happen, but it sounds nice, so we’ll put it out there.

cycop 6y ago
Projected 8 to 10 billion? , will end up being 25-billion at the low end.
- perardi 6y ago
  In a province that is quite broke, and led by a retrograde politician who only thinks of oil. Unless this also happens to transport heavy crude, this will not happen.
  - cmrdporcupine 6y ago
    I suspect in the end it's ... they can test development of this in Alberta because it's a locale which is super "business friendly" (read low taxes, low regulations). Doesn't mean it will ever actually get built, though.
vmception 6y ago
an MoU lol
- perardi 6y ago
  A memorandum of understanding from a startup to create a capital-intensive public transit system in a time where existing public transit is in severe financial distress, in a province that is in severe financial distress, and also one that loves its pickup trucks. Sure.
perardi 6y ago
And before you say “you’re just a cynic, you have to believe in the power of disruption”, I want you to study the vast cost overruns and cost-disease of every public transit project of note in Canada in recent memory, and then tell me how magic startup fairy dust will cut through sclerotic governments both municipal, provincial, and federal. We barely made Presto cards work.
- badloginagain 6y ago
  My only question is if MoU is necessary step for any project like this. My expectation is that government bureaucracy requires each laborious step be taken in order for the project to even get to a state where it can start to fail.
- moltar 6y ago
  It is so sad, but true. Canada is such a fantastic country in many ways, but the corruption on every level makes everything so expensive. Leaves nothing for good projects that are so badly needed to make it first class.
- moltar 6y ago
  It took Ottawa 20 years to roll out first stage of light rail.
  - perardi 6y ago
    And of course, the Relief Line in Toronto. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relief_Line_(Toronto) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relief_Line_(Toronto)
voisin 6y ago
Better translation: “We’ll let this startup expend its resources to study this, and then award the contract to Bombardier for political reasons.”
- perardi 6y ago
  Only if SNC-Lavalin does the final study for provincial approval. For non-Canadians: the “we must buy Canadian” (or to be fully cynical “we must buy Quebecois”) has not gone super well for our transit needs. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flexity_Outlook_(Toronto_streetcar) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flexity_Outlook_(Toronto_stree...

cycop 6y ago

Projected 8 to 10 billion? , will end up being 25-billion at the low end.

perardi 6y ago
In a province that is quite broke, and led by a retrograde politician who only thinks of oil. Unless this also happens to transport heavy crude, this will not happen.
- cmrdporcupine 6y ago
  I suspect in the end it's ... they can test development of this in Alberta because it's a locale which is super "business friendly" (read low taxes, low regulations). Doesn't mean it will ever actually get built, though.

vmception 6y ago

an MoU lol

perardi 6y ago
A memorandum of understanding from a startup to create a capital-intensive public transit system in a time where existing public transit is in severe financial distress, in a province that is in severe financial distress, and also one that loves its pickup trucks. Sure.

perardi 6y ago

And before you say “you’re just a cynic, you have to believe in the power of disruption”, I want you to study the vast cost overruns and cost-disease of every public transit project of note in Canada in recent memory, and then tell me how magic startup fairy dust will cut through sclerotic governments both municipal, provincial, and federal. We barely made Presto cards work.

badloginagain 6y ago
My only question is if MoU is necessary step for any project like this. My expectation is that government bureaucracy requires each laborious step be taken in order for the project to even get to a state where it can start to fail.
moltar 6y ago
It is so sad, but true. Canada is such a fantastic country in many ways, but the corruption on every level makes everything so expensive. Leaves nothing for good projects that are so badly needed to make it first class.
moltar 6y ago
It took Ottawa 20 years to roll out first stage of light rail.
- perardi 6y ago
  And of course, the Relief Line in Toronto. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relief_Line_(Toronto) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relief_Line_(Toronto)

voisin 6y ago

Better translation: “We’ll let this startup expend its resources to study this, and then award the contract to Bombardier for political reasons.”

perardi 6y ago
Only if SNC-Lavalin does the final study for provincial approval. For non-Canadians: the “we must buy Canadian” (or to be fully cynical “we must buy Quebecois”) has not gone super well for our transit needs. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flexity_Outlook_(Toronto_streetcar) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flexity_Outlook_(Toronto_stree...