Musk's Boring Company will build Vegas Loop with 51 stations
What's the story
Local officials have recently greenlighted Elon Musk-led Boring Company's proposal to build a network of underground tunnels in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Boring Company calls this the "Vegas Loop" and it will allow passengers to ride Teslas from one place to another on the Las Vegas strip. The approved system consists of 29 miles of tunnels with 51 stations.
Here are more details.
Rather interesting
Demonstrations at the Convention Center showed the idea is feasible
For the uninitiated, the Boring Company is the brainchild of billionaire Elon Musk. The company was conceptualized when Musk was stuck in traffic.
Earlier this year, the company tested a 0.8-mile-long tunnel across the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC). During the demonstration, vehicles were limited to 40 mph, taking 90 seconds to cover a distance that takes 45 minutes to walk.
Quote
Here's how the Boring Company's website justifies underground car tunnels
"To solve the problem of soul-destroying traffic, roads must go 3D, which means either flying cars or tunnels are needed. Unlike flying cars, tunnels are weatherproof, out of sight, and won't fall on your head. Tunnels...don't conflict with existing transportation systems."
Approved
Vegas Loop will connect city's airport, convention center, and casinos
The freshly issued approval allows the Boring Company to develop the Vegas Loop connecting hotels, casinos, Vegas's new football stadium, the LVCC, and McCarran International Airport. The plan approved by Clark County officials is similar to a massive city-wide expansion plan that the company had pitched in December last year.
The county estimated that the Vegas Loop would ferry 57,000 passengers every hour.
Financials
Boring Company paying for tunneling, businesses to pay for stations
People using the Vegas Loop would be able to book a ride using a mobile app much like Uber.
Clark County said no taxpayer money will be spent to build the Vegas Loop. The Boring Company will foot the expenses but casinos and businesses would have to cover construction costs for stations in their vicinity, subject to independent approvals from local authorities.
Twitter Post
The Boring Company is excited about the approval
Vegas Loop is expanding - 29 miles and 51 stations!
— The Boring Company (@boringcompany) October 20, 2021
Thanks to the Clark County team for the great partnership and to the Commissioners for unanimous approval. https://t.co/KrfF5SUsxq
Speed breakers
Eventually, Teslas in the Loop will be fully autonomous
A five-mile ride from the airport to the LVCC is expected to take five minutes and cost $10. Ultimately, the Boring Company plans to use autonomously driven Teslas in the Vegas Loop, making transportation faster.
However, progress in this aspect is sluggish because Tesla hasn't created fully autonomous self-driving software yet. For now, vehicles under the LVCC are driven manually.