Elon Musk has a bold vision for the future that sometimes gets lost in his desire to never not be the center of attention. The Tesla (TSLA) CEO not only has big ideas, he has the money to bring those ideas into reality in a way that's part mad scientist, part James Bond villain, and part smartest person of his generation.
The enigmatic genius may be best known for his electric vehicles (and his Twitter account) but he has also made strides toward colonizing Mars and has built a worldwide satellite network that brings the internet places it has never gone before.
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Now, Musk wants to change the future of transportation and he has picked Las Vegas -- most notably the Las Vegas Strip -- as ground zero for those efforts. The billionaire's Boring Co. has big plans under the Las Vegas Strip and a plan to prove it can deliver on its mission to "solve traffic, enable rapid point-to-point transportation, and transform cities."
Image source: Tesla
Musk Has Huge Underground Las Vegas Plans
While Musk plans a broad underground network of tunnels using driverless Teslas to ferry people around the Strip and to all key Las Vegas destinations, he so far has delivered the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) loop -- a three-station transportation system consisting of 1.7 miles of tunnel with three stations.
The LVCC Loop, which cost $47 million essentially replaced a long walk. A moving sidewalk would have done the same thing (at a far lower cost) and it would not have needed drivers. Ultimately, this first effort is a proof of concept for building the tunnels. The entire system will make a lot more sense when the project gets expanded to the entire Las Vegas Strip and Tesla figures out the technology/legality to operate without drivers.
Vegas Loop, the full project which will connect the entire Las Vegas Strip with key parts of the rest of the city, would in theory solve Las Vegas' massive traffic problems whenever major events are in town.
"Vegas Loop will include LVCC Loop and any future service extensions including resorts along the Strip, Harry Reid International Airport, Allegiant Stadium, downtown Las Vegas," Boring Co. shared on its website. "During typical peak hours, driving from the Las Vegas Convention Center to Mandalay Bay, for example, can take up to 30 minutes. The same trip on Vegas Loop will take approximately 3 minutes."
Even walking between two Caesars Entertainment (CZR) or MGM Resorts International (MGM) properties on differing sides of the Strip can be a challenge on the best of days. The Vegas Loop would make that a much easier trip (and would keep you from having to go outside which is a big plus in the summer when Vegas temperatures routinely top 100 degrees.
So far, only the LVCC Loop and a connection to Resorts World have been built. Now, with the Vegas Loop just entering construction, Musk and Boring Co. have a plan to make it even bigger.
Musk's Las Vegas Dream Keeps Growing
Boring Co. has not even begun digging the Vegas Loop but its vision for the project has grown, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
"What was originally presented as a 29-mile tunnel network with 51 planned stations when the Clark County Commission approved it in 2021, has now grown to add several more miles of tunnels to the system, with 69 planned stations," the paper reported.
New stops would include the Arts District; the Medical District, where the UNLV School of Medicine is located; the World Market Center; Symphony Park at the Smith Center; and the Las Vegas Premium Outlet Mall. Stations would also be added for the Palace Station resort/casino, Area 15, Chinatown, and the Town Square shopping mall, according to the paper.
The city of Las Vegas and Clark County both have to approve any additional stops or changes to the original plan.
“They (Boring officials) see the opportunity and I think they see the need,” Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority CEO Stephen Hill told the Review-Journal. “It provides better access and access to different places...Folks reached out to them and said they wanted to be included in that as well. So, where that makes sense, The Boring Company is willing to make that happen.”
