Tourism agency talks about expanding underground transit system near Strip

Las Vegas News Bureau

TBC - The Boring Company d/b/a Vegas Loop begins the second tunnel for the Vegas Loop underground people mover at the Las Vegas Convention Center South Hall launch pit on Thursday, Mar. 12, 2020. (Mark Damon/Las Vegas News Bureau)

The president of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority released details today on what an expanded underground people mover could look like within the tourist corridor.

The expanded transit system, already under construction at the Las Vegas Convention Center, would be built by the Boring Company, an Elon Musk firm.

“The Vegas Loop will be a game-changer for our visitors seeking to quickly access world-class attractions and resorts throughout the destination in a fun and convenient way,” LVCVA President Steve Hill said.

The tunnel system — which would transport passengers in electric-powered Tesla vehicles — would stretch from as far north along the tourist corridor as downtown and as far south as Allegiant Stadium, Hill said.

On Thursday, the Las Vegas Stadium Authority is set to present a Clark County special use permit application to board members.

The Boring Company has also submitted a permit application to Las Vegas, a city spokesman said. That permit is set to come before the Planning Commission in November.

The Boring Company, however, must also get permission from tourist corridor landowners to tunnel beneath their properties.

Hill said that process is already underway, though he didn’t specify which landowners have agreed to allow the Boring Company to tunnel.

“Each one of those entities needs to sign that (land use) application, along with the Boring Company in order for the application to be considered by the jurisdictions,” Hill said. “Virtually all of the signatures have been obtained. The Stadium Authority is one of the last needed. The Raiders strongly support that application.”

With a price tag of just over $52 million, the people mover system is nearing completion at the 200-acre Convention Center campus.

It should be completed early next year, LVCVA officials have said.

The people mover system could eventually also run to McCarran International Airport, Hill said today, though he called the link “conceptual.”

“The process at the airport is more complex and involves more entities than the rest of the locations on the route,” Hill said. “We’ve had discussions with the airport about it, but they are not yet in a position to sign any type of application that would be processed at this point. We’re obviously still going to work on that.”

Tourism

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