Say what you want about Elon Musk, he’s not boring – except in Fort Lauderdale.
That’s because the city of Fort Lauderdale has struck a deal with Musk’s ‘The Boring Company’ to dig a public transit tunnel between the city’s core and the beach.
“This could be a truly innovative way to reduce traffic congestion,” Mayor Dean Trantalis said last week, according to CNN.
Competing firms will have 45 days to submit proposals to beat Musk’s offer.
It’s unclear what that might take, since the cost is undisclosed so far. Yet Boring Company execs have said it will be far less than normal tunnel projects, which, CNN noted, can run $1 billion a mile.
The city will call the project the “Las Olas Loop,” which refers to a local thoroughfare that reaches the beach.
The project will mirror one Musk’s company built in La Vegas, which opened in June, CNN reported.
The focus of the project is that users will be ferried in Teslas instead of traditional public transit vehicles, like buses or a subway train.
The rides are expected to cost $5 to $8 a person, according to city officials.
Critics denounce the idea, CNN noted, because using cars means far fewer people per trip.
Yet local officials see the Las Olas Loop as a way to reduce parking problems near the ocean.
According to the plan, transit users would park at the downtown train station for Brightline, the high-speed rail system, and then catch a Tesla to the surf.
“This is the type of big, bold idea that we should be exploring,” Ben Porritt, a Brightline spokesperson, told CNN. “Good transportation is ultimately about the functionality of a city.”
Android Users, Click Here To Download The Free Press App And Never Miss A Story. It’s Free And Coming To Apple Users Soon.
Support journalism by clicking here to our gofundme or sign up for our free newsletter by clicking here
Past Stories: