Latest news with #BillLee
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Elon Musk's Boring Co. tunnel in Nashville: Who can and can't use the Music City Loop
The Boring Company's upcoming Music City Loop isn't for everyone, and it has strict requirements for its users. Only Teslas will be allowed in the Music City Loop, but not just anyone can drive on it. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee officially announced a new private transportation project for the Volunteer State on Monday, July 28. Elon Musk's The Boring Company, an American infrastructure and tunnel construction service, will build a tunnel system to reduce transit time between downtown and the Nashville International Airport (BNA). If successful, the tunnel could eliminate traffic delays for users, allowing them to bypass one of the most annoying traffic backups in the city. What is the Nashville tunnel The Boring Company is making for? The Boring Company doesn't just create tunnels, it creates transit systems. These systems are emission-free and utilize a fleet of Tesla electric vehicles like the Model 3 sedan and Model X midsize SUV to transport users. They are driven by Loop operators without the use of any semi-autonomous technology, despite Tesla's recent Robotaxi push. Can any driver in Nashville use the Music City Loop? If you want to make use of the Music City Loop (if and when it's completed), you can't operate your own vehicle in the underground tunnel. Even Tesla owners aren't permitted to drive through the Loop. In order to make use of the service, Tennesseans and travelers must go to a Music City Loop entrance and ride in one of the Tesla EVs in the company's fleet, accompanied by an experienced Loop operator. Why aren't drivers allowed to use the Music City Loop on their own with their own vehicles? For gas drivers, smog from internal combustion engine exhaust systems would be disastrous and potentially fatal. Most major underground subway systems, such as the New York City Subway, are all electric railways. For EV drivers and Tesla owners, the Loops are much too narrow to navigate for those unfamiliar with the tunnels. Their diameters are designed specifically for cost-reduction with the dimensions of fleet vehicles in mind. Allowing drivers to navigate the tunnels on their own would be a huge liability. So, expect the Loop to operate as more of an underground private taxi service than an underground express lane. Are Tennessee taxpayers funding the Music City Loop? The Music City Loop will be constructed at "zero cost to taxpayers," according to the Office of the Governor. Loop tunnels typically cost about $10 million per mile on average, said Business Insider. The project's initial phase spans 10 miles, so it could easily cost over $100 million to build. Will it cost to use the Music City Loop? As for the cost of using the Music City Loop, pricing info has yet to be released. Similar Loop pricing gives us some clues as to what users could pay in Nashville. Prices for the Vegas Loop range from $5 to $12. Transit times range from three to eight minutes, with times and fares varying based on the distance and Loop entry point. Who benefits from The Boring Co.'s Music City Loop? If you have no issue getting from downtown Nashville or the Convention Center to BNA, the Music City Loop may not benefit you at all. On the other hand, if you despise the major traffic backups that can surround the airport at times, then the Loop is "innovation at its finest", in the words of U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. The Loop is a zero-emissions high-speed transit system best for folks who are willing to spend a few bucks to avoid heavy traffic. It could potentially help Nashville support tourism and ease congestion, which is a net positive for Tennesseans and travelers. When does the Music City Loop open? Construction is expected to begin this fall and initial legs should be operational in Q4 2026, according to The Boring Company. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Can anyone drive on The Boring Company's Music City Loop in Nashville? Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
CNN
21 hours ago
- Business
- CNN
Elon Musk's company just promised to save Nashville's traffic problems. We've heard this story before
Aviation newsFacebookTweetLink Follow Nashville officials on Monday announced a massive public transportation partnership with Elon Musk's The Boring Company to alleviate the city's significant traffic congestion problems for travelers bound to the airport. But Musk has previously made many similar promises in a host of other American cities with little to show for it. At an announcement in Nashville, Gov. Bill Lee said the tunnel will be known as the 'Music City Loop' and that the project is '100% privately funded, there will be no cost to Tennessee taxpayers.' Lee did not detail who the funders are or the expected cost. The system aims to be the second such 'loop' by Musk's Boring Company, which currently operates an underground tunnel system in Las Vegas, where Tesla cars ferry people around and near the city's convention center. Lee said that a trip through the tunnel system will take eight to 10 minutes and that the plan is to complete the project within two years. The trip between the airport and downtown Nashville takes roughly 20 minutes on the road without traffic, according to Google Maps. But officials say traffic congestion in the city, especially around the airport, has been increasing. Construction will begin immediately following the approvals process, Lee's office said in a statement, and the first part of the operation is expected to open next year. Even at the announcement, there seemed to be some surprise at the proposed speed of the project. 'I know our engineering team was looking down — two years!' said Doug Kreulen, CEO of the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority, in a tone that seemed to mock supposed shock from the engineers. The Boring Company's president, Steve Davis, who also helped lead the Department of Government Efficiency, said during the announcement that they chose Nashville because they wanted to build where 'the system had to be useful and the community had to be welcoming.' Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy also attended the event and spoke. But Musk, who has distanced himself from the Trump administration after leading DOGE, was not mentioned, and Musk did not promote Monday's announcement on X, his social media platform. Musk's xAI has also invested in Tennessee, setting up its supercomputer campuses in Memphis last year. Musk's AI company has also made some charitable overtures in the area, helping Memphis-Shelby County Schools with HVAC upgrades and other needs, as well as clearing some roads near schools and homes, the company said this month. Last week, Musk also announced his foundation donated $350,000 to the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Memphis to help cover funding gaps after losing government COVID pandemic era funds. Between 2017 and 2021, The Boring Company canceled or postponed similar projects in Chicago; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; the California cities of Los Angeles, San Bernardino and San Jose; and one from Baltimore to Washington, DC. The Boring Company has had a rocky existence ever since Musk first posted in 2016 that traffic was driving him 'nuts' and that he was going to 'build a tunnel boring machine and just start digging.' The Boring Company completed a test tunnel for regular electric vehicles in Los Angeles in 2018, but Musk said his ultimate vision included a 'hyperloop,' a low-pressure tube through which specially designed capsules would whisk passengers between cities at hundreds of miles per hour. Musk posted in 2017 that he had 'verbal government approval' to build a hyperloop between New York and Washington, DC. But it was unclear what official could give such an approval, given the dozens — if not hundreds — of municipalities and organizations that would be involved in such a project. By 2021, a proposed Baltimore-to-Washington segment evaporated from the company's website, though the company continues to tout the hyperloop idea without any specific plans or projects. Musk's smaller-scale vision, which he simply dubbed 'Loop,' continued to inch along, however — if not with similar themes of grand ideas and scaled-back realities. In April 2017, Musk presented an animated video at a Ted Ideas conference showing vehicles lowered into tunnels by elevators that seamlessly blended into curbside parking spots, with the vehicles then being whisked away on electric sleds. The Loop that has been built is also quite different than the Loop that was envisioned. The first segment, under the Las Vegas Convention Center, was completed in 2021, but instead of city denizens flitting across the city, convention-goers are simply driven by humans in normal Teslas through a fairly standard road tunnel. The Boring Company has since completed five more stations — for a total of eight — and the company says that 'Clark County and the City of Las Vegas have approved 68 miles of tunnel and 104 stations.' Musk's tunnels have had an even harder time spreading outside of Las Vegas. While multiple projects have been announced – most recently in Dubai in February 2025 – few have moved beyond the initial fanfare. Projects in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Baltimore all appear to have been quietly dropped, and despite an announcement for a Fort Lauderdale tunnel in 2021, the project appears to be suspended. In 2025, Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel that the city needed to 'to see if they're still interested in fully funding the project as they had originally proposed.'
CNN
a day ago
- Business
- CNN
Elon Musk's company just promised to save Nashville's traffic problems. We've heard this story before
Aviation newsFacebookTweetLink Follow Nashville officials on Monday announced a massive public transportation partnership with Elon Musk's The Boring Company to alleviate the city's significant traffic congestion problems for travelers bound to the airport. But Musk has previously made many similar promises in a host of other American cities with little to show for it. At an announcement in Nashville, Gov. Bill Lee said the tunnel will be known as the 'Music City Loop' and that the project is '100% privately funded, there will be no cost to Tennessee taxpayers.' Lee did not detail who the funders are or the expected cost. The system aims to be the second such 'loop' by Musk's Boring Company, which currently operates an underground tunnel system in Las Vegas, where Tesla cars ferry people around and near the city's convention center. Lee said that a trip through the tunnel system will take eight to 10 minutes and that the plan is to complete the project within two years. The trip between the airport and downtown Nashville takes roughly 20 minutes on the road without traffic, according to Google Maps. But officials say traffic congestion in the city, especially around the airport, has been increasing. Construction will begin immediately following the approvals process, Lee's office said in a statement, and the first part of the operation is expected to open next year. Even at the announcement, there seemed to be some surprise at the proposed speed of the project. 'I know our engineering team was looking down — two years!' said Doug Kreulen, CEO of the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority, in a tone that seemed to mock supposed shock from the engineers. The Boring Company's president, Steve Davis, who also helped lead the Department of Government Efficiency, said during the announcement that they chose Nashville because they wanted to build where 'the system had to be useful and the community had to be welcoming.' Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy also attended the event and spoke. But Musk, who has distanced himself from the Trump administration after leading DOGE, was not mentioned, and Musk did not promote Monday's announcement on X, his social media platform. Musk's xAI has also invested in Tennessee, setting up its supercomputer campuses in Memphis last year. Musk's AI company has also made some charitable overtures in the area, helping Memphis-Shelby County Schools with HVAC upgrades and other needs, as well as clearing some roads near schools and homes, the company said this month. Last week, Musk also announced his foundation donated $350,000 to the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Memphis to help cover funding gaps after losing government COVID pandemic era funds. Between 2017 and 2021, The Boring Company canceled or postponed similar projects in Chicago; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; the California cities of Los Angeles, San Bernardino and San Jose; and one from Baltimore to Washington, DC. The Boring Company has had a rocky existence ever since Musk first posted in 2016 that traffic was driving him 'nuts' and that he was going to 'build a tunnel boring machine and just start digging.' The Boring Company completed a test tunnel for regular electric vehicles in Los Angeles in 2018, but Musk said his ultimate vision included a 'hyperloop,' a low-pressure tube through which specially designed capsules would whisk passengers between cities at hundreds of miles per hour. Musk posted in 2017 that he had 'verbal government approval' to build a hyperloop between New York and Washington, DC. But it was unclear what official could give such an approval, given the dozens — if not hundreds — of municipalities and organizations that would be involved in such a project. By 2021, a proposed Baltimore-to-Washington segment evaporated from the company's website, though the company continues to tout the hyperloop idea without any specific plans or projects. Musk's smaller-scale vision, which he simply dubbed 'Loop,' continued to inch along, however — if not with similar themes of grand ideas and scaled-back realities. In April 2017, Musk presented an animated video at a Ted Ideas conference showing vehicles lowered into tunnels by elevators that seamlessly blended into curbside parking spots, with the vehicles then being whisked away on electric sleds. The Loop that has been built is also quite different than the Loop that was envisioned. The first segment, under the Las Vegas Convention Center, was completed in 2021, but instead of city denizens flitting across the city, convention-goers are simply driven by humans in normal Teslas through a fairly standard road tunnel. The Boring Company has since completed five more stations — for a total of eight — and the company says that 'Clark County and the City of Las Vegas have approved 68 miles of tunnel and 104 stations.' Musk's tunnels have had an even harder time spreading outside of Las Vegas. While multiple projects have been announced – most recently in Dubai in February 2025 – few have moved beyond the initial fanfare. Projects in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Baltimore all appear to have been quietly dropped, and despite an announcement for a Fort Lauderdale tunnel in 2021, the project appears to be suspended. In 2025, Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel that the city needed to 'to see if they're still interested in fully funding the project as they had originally proposed.'
CNN
a day ago
- Business
- CNN
Elon Musk's company just promised to save Nashville's traffic problems. We've heard this story before
Aviation newsFacebookTweetLink Follow Nashville officials on Monday announced a massive public transportation partnership with Elon Musk's The Boring Company to alleviate the city's significant traffic congestion problems for travelers bound to the airport. But Musk has previously made many similar promises in a host of other American cities with little to show for it. At an announcement in Nashville, Gov. Bill Lee said the tunnel will be known as the 'Music City Loop' and that the project is '100% privately funded, there will be no cost to Tennessee taxpayers.' Lee did not detail who the funders are or the expected cost. The system aims to be the second such 'loop' by Musk's Boring Company, which currently operates an underground tunnel system in Las Vegas, where Tesla cars ferry people around and near the city's convention center. Lee said that a trip through the tunnel system will take eight to 10 minutes and that the plan is to complete the project within two years. The trip between the airport and downtown Nashville takes roughly 20 minutes on the road without traffic, according to Google Maps. But officials say traffic congestion in the city, especially around the airport, has been increasing. Construction will begin immediately following the approvals process, Lee's office said in a statement, and the first part of the operation is expected to open next year. Even at the announcement, there seemed to be some surprise at the proposed speed of the project. 'I know our engineering team was looking down — two years!' said Doug Kreulen, CEO of the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority, in a tone that seemed to mock supposed shock from the engineers. The Boring Company's president, Steve Davis, who also helped lead the Department of Government Efficiency, said during the announcement that they chose Nashville because they wanted to build where 'the system had to be useful and the community had to be welcoming.' Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy also attended the event and spoke. But Musk, who has distanced himself from the Trump administration after leading DOGE, was not mentioned, and Musk did not promote Monday's announcement on X, his social media platform. Musk's xAI has also invested in Tennessee, setting up its supercomputer campuses in Memphis last year. Musk's AI company has also made some charitable overtures in the area, helping Memphis-Shelby County Schools with HVAC upgrades and other needs, as well as clearing some roads near schools and homes, the company said this month. Last week, Musk also announced his foundation donated $350,000 to the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Memphis to help cover funding gaps after losing government COVID pandemic era funds. Between 2017 and 2021, The Boring Company canceled or postponed similar projects in Chicago; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; the California cities of Los Angeles, San Bernardino and San Jose; and one from Baltimore to Washington, DC. The Boring Company has had a rocky existence ever since Musk first posted in 2016 that traffic was driving him 'nuts' and that he was going to 'build a tunnel boring machine and just start digging.' The Boring Company completed a test tunnel for regular electric vehicles in Los Angeles in 2018, but Musk said his ultimate vision included a 'hyperloop,' a low-pressure tube through which specially designed capsules would whisk passengers between cities at hundreds of miles per hour. Musk posted in 2017 that he had 'verbal government approval' to build a hyperloop between New York and Washington, DC. But it was unclear what official could give such an approval, given the dozens — if not hundreds — of municipalities and organizations that would be involved in such a project. By 2021, a proposed Baltimore-to-Washington segment evaporated from the company's website, though the company continues to tout the hyperloop idea without any specific plans or projects. Musk's smaller-scale vision, which he simply dubbed 'Loop,' continued to inch along, however — if not with similar themes of grand ideas and scaled-back realities. In April 2017, Musk presented an animated video at a Ted Ideas conference showing vehicles lowered into tunnels by elevators that seamlessly blended into curbside parking spots, with the vehicles then being whisked away on electric sleds. The Loop that has been built is also quite different than the Loop that was envisioned. The first segment, under the Las Vegas Convention Center, was completed in 2021, but instead of city denizens flitting across the city, convention-goers are simply driven by humans in normal Teslas through a fairly standard road tunnel. The Boring Company has since completed five more stations — for a total of eight — and the company says that 'Clark County and the City of Las Vegas have approved 68 miles of tunnel and 104 stations.' Musk's tunnels have had an even harder time spreading outside of Las Vegas. While multiple projects have been announced – most recently in Dubai in February 2025 – few have moved beyond the initial fanfare. Projects in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Baltimore all appear to have been quietly dropped, and despite an announcement for a Fort Lauderdale tunnel in 2021, the project appears to be suspended. In 2025, Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel that the city needed to 'to see if they're still interested in fully funding the project as they had originally proposed.'
Axios
a day ago
- Axios
Tennessee governor bets big on state parks
Welcome to the first installment of Tennessee Trailheads: This week, each edition of Axios Nashville will explore a different aspect of the parks where we picnic and play. Tennessee state parks are in the midst of a historic growth spurt, with Gov. Bill Lee set to add a record 14 new locations to the roster before leaving office. Why it matters: Outdoor recreation has quietly emerged as one of the Lee administration's signature issues. Since becoming governor in 2019, Lee has launched a bevy of new projects aimed at elevating and expanding the park system. What he's saying: In an exclusive Axios interview earlier this year, Lee said he felt a duty to preserve Tennessee's lush natural landscape, including parks, rivers and farmland. "When you serve in this role, you think about what you hope lasts," he said. "We do have a duty to generations that will come. We have a duty to provide them with the same remarkable environment that we inherited. In fact, I believe we have a duty to improve that." Between the lines: He draws inspiration from his childhood visits to Fall Creek Falls and canoe rides down the Hiwassee River. The big picture: Lee wants to establish the most accessible park system in the country. "It's about making sure that regardless of your ZIP code, your physical ability, your demographics, that you have access to these parks," he said. The intrigue: The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the matter: Visitors flocked to Tennessee parks and campgrounds in record numbers. Catch up quick: In 2021, Lee announced the Bill Dance Signature Lakes initiative, named after the famed fisherman, that will put millions toward improving 18 lakes across the state. The BlueWaysTN program is focused on the state's recreational waterways. Last year, Lee created the Office of Outdoor Recreation as a conservation hub. Earlier this month, the office dolled out $22 million in grants to support local park projects. Reality check: Environmental activists have blasted a series of government moves that they say chip away at environmental protections, including a 2025 state law that reduces oversight for wetland development. Yes, but: The state has poured millions of dollars into conservation projects during Lee's time in office. The latest state budget included $52 million to create five new state parks. Lee also pushed a plan to slow the development of Tennessee farmland, putting $25 million toward grants for farmers who preserve their land. Zoom in: Lee proposed $125 million this year to protect the Duck River, one of the nation's most endangered waterways. Lawmakers cut $35 million of that funding before passing the budget. Zoom out: Former Sen. Bill Frist, the global chair of The Nature Conservancy, recently praised Lee's focus on conservation, saying "investments in nature make a profound difference in the health and wellbeing of generations to come." The bottom line:"The more urban centers we have, and the more growth we have in the state, the more important it is that there is an opportunity for people to ... have access to wildlife and to waters and to forests," Lee said.
