| Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis believes a new underground transit tunnel will improve traffic flow in downtown Fort Lauderdale. At the meeting before a summer recess, the City Commission formally received a proposal from Elon Musk’s The Boring Co. to build an underground transit system from downtown to the beach via Las Olas Boulevard. We gave other companies 45 days to submit competing proposals for consideration.“This could be a real game-changer for Fort Lauderdale in how we address traffic congestion. An underground transit line could remove tourists and suburban beach-goers from street-level traffic, reducing the gridlock that city residents regularly face,” said Trantails.”The exact details of The Boring Co.’s plans are confidential as we await any other proposals. However, The Boring Co.’s transit concept is fully operational in Las Vegas.”There, the system carries passengers via dedicated Teslas in a pair of one-way tunnels between three stops underneath the city’s massive convention center. Vegas and The Boring Co. are planning a major expansion that will extend the loop along the Strip with stops at major hotels, the airport and the sports stadium.“The commission’s decision on July 6 is just the beginning of our consideration of underground transit. Any proposal we choose will need to be studied from a geotechnical standpoint and the financing of the project determined.Trantalis said there are two tunnels in South Florida. The Kinney Tunnel was completed in 1960, and the Port of Miami a tunnel opened in 2014. Further, The Boring Co. dealt with a variety of subterranean conditions in Las Vegas, including building tunnels through a high water table.“In terms of financing, state and federal aid is possible as is money from the voter-approved transportation surtax. Other options include a ridership fee. The Boring Co. proved in Las Vegas that their system can be built at an affordable cost,” said Trantalis.He believes the possibilities could be larger. “A second phase of an underground network could extend to the airport, seaport and convention center. Other future lines could be along SE 17th Street and Sunrise Boulevard or out west to the Nova Southeastern University campus, the Hard Rock casino and the Sawgrass Mills mall,” said Trantalis. |
