Get free rides in Boring Company's high-speed tunnel: Details here
The first test tunnel being developed by the Boring Company to establish a high-speed 'loop' transit system under Los Angeles is inching closer to reality. On October 22, Elon Musk, the founder of the company, announced that the tunnel is almost complete and will be opened in December. He also said that the public will get free rides in the tunnel. Here's more.
Special opening event on December 10, free rides next day
In an announcement on Twitter, Musk confirmed the tunnel's status and said it will open on December 10. Then, on being questioned for public access, he confirmed that the opening event will take place on the night of December 10 and free rides for public will start the very next day. The tunnel ride will start at SpaceX's headquarters in Hawthorne, California.
Musk says the opening will be in 'real time'
As Musk has a reputation for missing deadlines, a Twitter user questioned if the given opening date is "in real time or Elon time?" However, the billionaire said real-time, hinting there are slight chances of delay in this case.
What this tunnel would be like?
The test tunnel, as CNET reported, would be more like a platform capable of carrying vehicles at much higher speeds than normal. Musk says the top speed for this particular tunnel would be around 250 km/hr. The ultimate goal here is to expand the tunnels into a miles-long 'loop' network with stations, helping people evade traffic on the streets.
Here's what the tunnel could like on opening day
Transit pods with fares at $1 per passenger
Though the project is still at a nascent stage, Musk had earlier proposed the idea of introducing transit pods to help cyclists and pedestrians travel using the tunnels. Back then, he said the cost of a ride would be just $1 per passenger in future.
Other Boring Company tunnel projects in the works
Apart from LA, the Boring Company has also got permissions to dig under Maryland. Plus, it recently won a contract from the City of Chicago to build a high-speed express system to connect O'Hare International Airport with downtown Chicago. The proposed system will use electric vehicles to whisk up to 16 passengers from one point to another in just 12 minutes.
