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from the First-Passenger:-Leeloominaï-Lekatariba-Lamina-Tchaï-Ekbat-De-Sebat? dept.
Elon Musk'S Boring Company Finishes Digging Las Vegas Tunnels:
Elon Musk's Boring Company has completed digging a second tunnel underneath the Las Vegas Convention Center, marking the end of the first phase of the $52.5 million project to build a "people-mover" system to shuttle visitors from one side of the venue to the other. The first of the two tunnels was finished in February.
Workers will now turn their attention to completing the above-ground passenger stations on either end of the tunnels, as well as a third underground station in the middle of the system. The people-mover, which is being formally called the Convention Center Loop, is still scheduled to open to the public in January 2021 in time for the next Consumer Electronics Show — if CES happens, that is.
[...] The Loop is supposed to be able to move more than 4,000 people per hour through the tunnels in a variety of Tesla vehicles, taking a cross-campus walk that normally takes at least 15 minutes and turning it into a ride that lasts less than two minutes.
[...] The Loop will pack those passengers into Model 3s, Model Xs, and a "tram" built on the Model 3 platform that can fit between 12 and 16 passengers, according to Steve Hill, the CEO and president of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, who spoke to The Verge this week.
[...] Those vehicles will eventually zip through the tunnels autonomously, but they will start off with drivers, Hill said. After that, the vehicles will follow "conduit" and sensors that are being laid in the tunnels — so they'll appear to be autonomous but won't actually be driving themselves. "Whenever we get to the point where we know that [it's safe to let the vehicles drive themselves]," Hill said, "that's when we'll take that step. But there is not a deadline for making that happen."
[...] The Loop is not really meant to serve as public transportation. Instead, Hill says, it's an amenity for convention-goers, and for prospective customers.
[...] "It's here for the benefit of the [trade] shows, so it'll ramp up capability while [they're] here," he said. "Between those times, it'll ramp way back down to a car or two available if somebody needs one."
Hill said the LVCVA and The Boring Company will use the time between when the tunnels are completed and when they open to the public to test out the technology. ("We certainly would not have attendees of the shows be a part of a test process," he said.
Previously:
(2020-02-23) Elon Musk's Boring Company Finishes First Tunnel for 155mph Vegas Loop
(2019-03-13) Elon Musk Startup Picked to Build Las Vegas 'People Mover'
(Score: 2) by looorg on Friday May 15 2020, @09:15AM (7 children)
So they are replacing a ~15 minute walk with a ~2 minute car/bus ride? Have they ever wondered why people are obese?
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Friday May 15 2020, @02:24PM
The good news is you'll get all you can drink Cuke and a full all-bacon buffet!
"Hey, HEy, HEY!"
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 15 2020, @02:28PM (2 children)
Have you been to Vegas in the summer?
15 minutes in 100+F temps is far less comfortable than a 2 minute ride in an underground tunnel.
Sure, in the winter that 15 minute walk is no problem. And preferable to the petri dish that those cars will become over time.
(Score: 2) by looorg on Friday May 15 2020, @04:21PM (1 child)
Isn't that, one of many, points about Vegas? That you like it hot? Who else would chose to live in a desert. Now apparently it's to much.
That said I'm wondering if the tunnel just isn't an extension of the Casino business (even tho it's for convention centers?) -- you can't let people outside cause then they might not be spending their money in the "right" places. Better to have control over the walking money dispensers.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 15 2020, @06:39PM
Weirdly, almost all the homes and businesses in hot areas have air conditioning. What are they, FUCKING PANSIES?
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 15 2020, @03:08PM (1 child)
If we get the TSA involved we could make that a ~2 hour car/bus ride.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 15 2020, @06:50PM
with free rape! ++good!
(Score: 3, Touché) by DannyB on Friday May 15 2020, @05:08PM
Maybe they are replacing a 15 minute walk with a 2 minute ride preceded by a 30 minute wait in line for the ride. Unless you have a fast pass.
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