The city of Fort Lauderdale has received a proposal from Elon Musk’s The Boring Co. to build an underground transit loop between downtown and the beach called “The Las Olas Loop.” Mayor Dean J. Trantalis said upon its receipt: “This represents an innovative and unprecedented approach to addressing traffic congestion and transit needs in 21st century America.”
The City Commission will vote on whether to accept the proposal Tuesday and set the process in which other firms can now come forward with competing ideas.
Fort Lauderdale and The Boring Co. made initial contact early this year to discuss underground alternatives to the construction of a high-rise commuter rail bridge over the New River. When corporate executives later visited our city, they asked to look at other transportation needs of our city.
State law prohibits the release of the specifics of the plan until the competitive process is concluded. But Mayor Trantalis stated: “The general concept of a rapid-transit connector between the downtown and the beach would be a game-changer for our community.”
The main routes to the beach are frequently overwhelmed with traffic. State Road A1A is at its capacity, and neighborhoods off Las Olas Boulevard are frustrated by traffic tie-ups and concerned about the ability of emergency responders to access their homes.
“An underground transit loop could remove both tourists and beach-goers from western suburbs from street-level traffic,” Mayor Trantalis said. “That would provide quicker and more efficient access between downtown and the beach for everyone.”
The mayor noted that Fort Lauderdale would be the first city on the East Coast – and only the second city in the world – to benefit from The Boring Co.’s technology.
