Efforts are underway to bring two underground tunnels to Fort Lauderdale. The tunnels would run from downtown Fort Lauderdale to the beach. One major challenge is that this is a flood prone area. Elon Musk’s Boring Company has submitted a 29 page report the City of Fort Lauderdale showing the goals of this project.
People won’t be able to driver their cars in the tunnels. They would travel in the tunnels in self-driving Teslas in the form of public transportation. Riders would travel east and west from the Brightline Station to beach front intersection of Las Olas and AIA. At the beginning the Teslas will have human drivers.
Mayor Dean Trantalis has said he believes this project could reduce downtown traffic. The Las Olas Loop would move passengers through two 2.7 mile tunnels under Las Olas. There could be up to five stops. The Teslas would move at about 70 miles an hour and a complete trip would take about four minutes. Riders would be entertained with lights and music and could use their cellphones. It has not been determined how much fares would cost.
All traffic would not have to stop when a passenger want to get off at a station. Each station will have a pull off area to allow other vehicles to go by. Stations could range in size from a car to a traditional subway stop. At the beginning, service would have drivers but the eventual goal would be fully automated vehicles.
It is expected that the Las Olas Loop project will cost under $100 million. The loop tunnels could be expanded to connect to other destinations in the city and beyond. It could provide transportation to the airport and the port.
