2024-10-08 21:10:25| Engadget
The Vegas Loop, underground tunnels built by Elon Musks Boring Company that snake underneath Sin City, hasnt been the traffic or even technological game changer the company promised it would become. It was supposed to be a futuristic, autonomous people mover that looked like public transit from the Tron universe. Instead, Las Vegas just got a bunch of underground tunnels where people are transported by ordinary Tesla vehicles that didnt really solve any of the citys traffic problems.
Apparently, its not just Tesla vehicles in the tunnels either. Fortune filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority on incidents involving the Tesla tunnels going back to 2022. The records revealed that the tunnels have seen at least 67 trespassing reports going back to 2022 and 22 instances of vehicles following Teslas into the tunnels and stations.
Borings monthly reports to the Legas Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority also showed several instances of property damage, theft, technical issues, or injuries, near-misses and trespassing or intrusions, according to Fortune.
The cars that wandered into the stations appear to mostly be just accidents in which drivers followed the Teslas into the unauthorized areas. The trespassing incidents are a bit more egregious and Fortune described them as a headache for the Boring Company.
Some of the more notable instances include a skateboarder who snuck into the tunnels through a passenger pickup station, two people who were spotted sleeping in one of the tunnel stations and a man who tried to remove a license plate reader at a station. In each case, Boring security escorted the trespassing out of the tunnels and stations but there are no records showing they were reported to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police.
Even the construction of the tunnels had more than a few sketchy moments but not nearly as amusing. Former Boring Company construction crew members spoke with Fortune back in February including one who said, We have consistently flirted with death. During a six month period last year, Boring reported 36 injuries to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) officials including heat exhaustion, contusions and crushed hands and elbows. One tip sent to OSHAs Nevada field office reported that 15 to 20 employees were burned with accelerant chemicals while working in the tunnels.
Somehow, none of these incidents have stopped the city and Clark Countys desperate hope for the transit system that the Boring Company promised but never delivered. County commissioners approved a plan last May to expand the underground Tesla vehicle tunnels to 65 miles and add 69 passenger stations.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/the-boring-companys-vegas-loop-is-a-comedy-of-trespassing-errors-191025432.html?src=rss
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