Through a unique public/private partnership, Colorado has taken the next step to providing high-speed travel through an enclosed, electromagnetic superhighway. The technology uses magnetic levitation to make the vehicles, which transport passengers and cargo, float and electric power to move them forward at full speed directly to its destination.

Information provided by CDOT

The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), E-470 Public Highway Authority and Arrivo, a next generation transportation company engineering a hyperloop-inspired infrastructure and vehicle system, announced a public-private partnership in November to build the first ever super-urban network to serve the greater Denver region.

Based in Los Angeles, California, and now also in Aurora, Colorado, Arrivo includes a team of veteran engineers and transportation experts. Arrivo will also be expanding its corporate operations by building an engineering and technology center in the Denver region. This will feature a full-system test track adjacent to the E-470 toll highway, where the proposed first commercial leg of the Denver network will be built.

“Colorado’s rapidly growing population and booming economy makes for the ideal location for the development of an Arrivo system,” said Governor John Hickenlooper. “Arrivo’s additional decision to locate their test facilities, adding up to 200 employees by 2020 and $10 to 15 million to our economy in 2018, is a testament to the culture of innovation that drives our economic engine.”

Unlike the hyperloop model, Arrivo is focused on regional distances, providing high-speed travel to connect every part of a super-urban region such as Denver in less than 20 minutes. Engineered for maximum versatility, the Arrivo system propels four models of vehicles that serve different passenger and cargo needs through an enclosed, electromagnetic superhighway. The technology uses magnetic levitation to make the vehicles float, and electric power to move them forward. Additionally, Arrivo’s proprietary technology keeps the system moving at full speed and delivers each vehicle directly to its destination.

“Arrivo’s system is an additional layer of transportation designed to complement existing modes of transportation, connect with the airport, the metro, and even allow people to use it with their own car. The residents, visitors and businesses of Denver will now have a new tool to be anywhere they want to be,” says Brogan BamBrogan, founder and CEO of Arrivo.

“We are reaching max roads in many cases in Colorado. Arrivo has a unique and practical approach to implementing hyperloop technology to eliminate traffic and dramatically improve the way people and goods move around the city,” said Shailen Bhatt, executive director of CDOT. “As part of the next steps, we are committed to working with Arrivo on the feasibility of how we address mobility in our state.”

As a first phase, Arrivo and CDOT will conduct a feasibility study for the first commercial leg, in conjunction with construction of the Arrivo test site near E-470. Arrivo plans to have the first commercial route operating in Denver in the next four to five years, which could also serve as a high-speed connector for other transit systems entering into the Denver area.

“E-470 has transformed over the years from a well-managed, successful road to include a technically-charged organization that is leading the toll industry through its continuous advancements in the area of technology,” said Sandy Bish, information technology director at E-470 Public Highway Authority. “We look forward to working with Arrivo and CDOT to review the potential development of this innovative technology that could improve mobility in Colorado.”

CDOT has a bold vision and commitment to being a national leader in using innovative technology to create intelligent travel in Colorado that is free of crashes, injuries and delays. To learn more about “RoadX,” the rapid, fast-paced venture to transform Colorado’s aging transportation system, visit roadx.codot.gov. To watch a video of the Arrivo technology in use, visit bit.ly/ArrivoCDOT.