Downey, CA
Stop on the proposed 17,000-mile maglev network. Next stop: Norwalk, CA (3.9 mi).
About Downey
Downey is a city in southeastern Los Angeles County, California, United States, 13 mi (21 km) southeast of Downtown Los Angeles. It is considered part of the Gateway Cities. The city is the birthplace of the Apollo space program and Taco Bell.
Source: Wikipedia summary (full article). Population and facts as published there.
Cost breakdown (proposal-scale estimates — see math)
| Item | Basis | Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal construction | Large-city terminal (range $2–4B) | $3B |
| Land acquisition | Regional factor 1.5× on $200M base | $300M |
| Track: Downey → Norwalk | 3.9 mi × $500M/mi | $2.0B |
| Annual operations (share) | Staffing, power, maintenance | $60M/yr |
| Stop total (excl. annual ops) | $5.3B |
Best terminal location (proposed)
the downtown Downey district near the planned Southeast Gateway Line. Metro's Southeast Gateway light rail line is planned to terminate in Downey, which would give a maglev terminal a direct rail link to downtown LA. The city's historic downtown and the former NASA industrial lands offer rare large parcels. It serves the Gateway Cities, one of LA County's densest regions.
Before / after
Aerial mock-up (illustrative, not an engineering rendering). Left: the proposed site today. Right: with the maglev terminal.
- The Firestone Boulevard corridor — commercial strip linking the two downtowns.
- Norwalk's Civic Center area — government and transit hub at the corridor's end.