In case you missed it, The Boring Company’s people-moving “Loop” beneath the Las Vegas Convention Center has started carrying passengers. The $52.5 million tunnel is filled with Tesla vehicles that carry passengers around the 1.7-mile stretch. The construction took about 18 months. The system is ten times faster than walking around the convention center.
“We’re grateful to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and all local stakeholders for providing us the opportunity to construct our first commercial project in one of the world’s most dynamic destinations,” Boring Co. President Steve Davis said in a statement reported by The Los Angeles Business Journal. “We are proud to have developed and delivered an exciting transportation solution to the Las Vegas Convention Center.”
The Loop currently consists of three passenger stations. Passengers can travel the entire route in about two minutes at speeds of up to 40 miles per hour. The company ultimately plans to use a fleet of 62 Tesla vehicles that can carry up to 4,400 people per hour.
Loop is an all-electric, zero-emissions, high-speed underground public transportation system in which passengers are transported to their destination with no intermediate stops. Loop is an express public transportation system that resembles an underground highway more than a subway system.
No Practical Limit to Number of Stations
According to The Boring Company, unlike a subway, there is no practical upper limit to the number of stations that can be built along the tunnel route because stations can be as small as two parking spaces. Since stations require such a small footprint, they can easily be integrated in busy city centers, parking garages, and residential communities.
Loop has no internal touch hazards (e.g. a 600 volt third rail), enabling safe evacuation, minimizing potential fire sources, and eliminating any dangerous effects of (unlikely) water intrusion (Teslas can safely handle some rain). In the unlikely case that a fire does occur, the tunnel’s redundant, bidirectional ventilation system will remove the smoke to allow passengers to safely evacuate.
Loop tunnels are outfitted with emergency exits, fire detection systems, fire suppression systems, and a fire-rated first responder emergency communication system. The systems are tested frequently with local police and fire departments.
Unlike standard public transportation systems, Loop vehicles carry small numbers of passengers (as low as one). This allows Loop passengers to travel with people they know and reduces the risk of exposure to airborne diseases presented by crowds. Additionally, rider high-touch surfaces are well understood within Loop vehicles, which can then be cleaned and disinfected between rides.
