From Vegas to Nashville: Elon Musk's Loop Targets Event Cities
Elon Musk's Boring Company has unveiled plans to construct the Music City Loop, a 10-mile underground transportation tunnel in Nashville.
The privately funded system will connect the city's downtown area, including the Music City Center, to Nashville International Airport. The goal is to reduce the travel time between the convention center and airport to around eight minutes, using Teslas, another Musk company, navigating underground tunnels.
Construction of the Loop is slated to begin this fall, with the first segment expected to open by the end of 2026. Exact route and station locations are still being finalized.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee supports the project, saying it supports the state's push to modernize infrastructure and ease traffic. However, there are no plans to use public funds for the project, that will be funded privately by the Boring Company.
Loop's Second Act After Vegas
The Music City Loop is the Boring Company's second major project, following the Las Vegas Convention Center Loop, which opened in 2021. The Las Vegas Loop spans 2.1 miles, connects five stations, and has carried more than 3 million passengers, according to Boring.
A ride between the convention center and Resorts World takes under two minutes. That's much faster than a 25-minute walk or a traffic-clogged Uber trip.
But despite its success in Las Vegas, the Loop's Nashville expansion is not without its critics. Transit experts have pointed out that the system's reliance on human-driven Tesla vehicles and its one-vehicle-at-a-time capacity limit could prove inefficient, particularly in high-traffic areas. Others warn that, because the project is privately funded, it may sidestep regulatory oversight that typically accompanies public infrastructure projects.
Unlike traditional mass transit systems that can accommodate large numbers of passengers on trains or buses, the Loop's current design is not expected to carry enough people to significantly reduce congestion in Nashville.
Despite these concerns, the Boring Company has big plans for the future of the Loop.
The Las Vegas network is set to expand to 68 miles with 104 stations, eventually connecting key locations such as Harry Reid International Airport, Allegiant Stadium, MGM Grand, and downtown Las Vegas.
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