Lexington, KY
Stop on the proposed 17,000-mile maglev network. Next stop: Louisville, KY (69.8 mi).
About Lexington
Lexington is a consolidated city coterminous with Fayette County, Kentucky, United States, of which it is also the county seat. As of the 2020 census the city's population was 322,570, making it the second-most populous city in Kentucky, the 14th-most populous city in the Southeast, and the 59th-most populous city in the United States. By area, it is the country's 33rd-largest city.
Source: Wikipedia summary (full article). Population and facts as published there.
Cost breakdown (proposal-scale estimates — see math)
| Item | Basis | Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal construction | Mid-size terminal (parametric range $1-2B) | $1.5B |
| Land acquisition | Regional factor 1× on $200M base | $200M |
| Track: Lexington → Louisville | 69.8 mi × $500M/mi | $34.9B |
| Annual operations (share) | Staffing, power, maintenance | $30M/yr |
| Stop total (excl. annual ops) | $36.6B |
Best terminal location (proposed)
The downtown Transit Center district. LexTran's downtown Transit Center already concentrates the city's bus network, and the surrounding blocks mix surface lots with underused commercial buildings. A terminal here serves the University of Kentucky and the Horse Capital's tourism draw while keeping construction in the existing urban footprint.
Before / after
Aerial mock-up (illustrative, not an engineering rendering). Left: the proposed site today. Right: with the maglev terminal.
- Versailles, KY - Woodford County town just east of Lexington
- Frankfort, KY - the state capital, directly on the route
- Shelbyville, KY - Shelby County seat on the I-64 corridor