Elon Musk’s expanding Vegas Loop operating with little oversight: Report

6 hrs ago

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Karah Rucker Anchor

By Karah Rucker (Anchor), Jodie Hawkins (Senior Producer), Ian Kennedy (Lead Video Editor)

Elon Musk‘s experiment in underground, electric vehicle-powered public transportation in Las Vegas is expanding. However, according to a ProPublica report, the Vegas Loop project is flying under the radar with very little government oversight.

The news outlet said because the project is privately operated and gets no federal funding, it’s spared from the typical government vetting and environmental analyses.

The Boring Company, founded by Musk, launched the service in 2021. The project started at the Las Vegas Convention Center with plans for more growth underway in other areas including the Las Vegas Strip and McCarran Airport.

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The head of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority called the loop project the only feasible option to ease traffic. The Clark County Commission and Las Vegas City Council granted Boring permission to build and operate the system underground without any public debate.

This approval allowed the transportation to run close to homes and businesses. It also bypassed the normal checks and balances that apply to major public transit projects.

According to records obtained by ProPublica and City Cast Las Vegas, Boring has also gotten around environmental and labor regulations by installing tunnels without work permits on county property twice. The company also dumped untreated water into storm drains and the sewer system.

The county did give Boring cease-and-desist letters, but no fines were issued.

In 2022, Boring successfully requested to no longer need a special permit. The special permit would have required more extensive reporting on safety and accidents.

As a result, the county has significantly reduced its oversight of the project, despite the involvement of taxpayer money from hotel room taxes and convention revenue.

The project is on track to be a 68-mile underground network across much of the city.

Boring has not commented on ProPublica’s report.

Tags: construction, Electric vehicles, Elon Musk, Las Vegas, Nevada, Public Transportation, Tesla

[Karah]

ELON MUSK’S BOLD EXPERIMENT IN UNDERGROUND, ELECTRIC VEHICLE-POWERED PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IN LAS VEGAS IS EXPANDING – BUT ONE OUTLET SAYS THE PROJECT IS FLYING UNDER THE RADAR WITH VERY LITTLE GOVERNMENT OVERSIGHT.

THE “BORING COMPANY”, FOUNDED BY MUSK, OPENED THE “VEGAS LOOP” IN 20-21 … STARTING SERVICE TO THE LAS VEGAS CONVENTION CENTER WITH PLANS FOR MORE GROWTH NOW UNDERWAY IN OTHER AREAS INCLUDING THE STRIP AND MC-CARRAN AIRPORT.

HOWEVER, PRO PUBLICA REPORTS … BECAUSE THE LOOP IS PRIVATELY OPERATED AND GETS NO FEDERAL FUNDING, IT’S SPARED FROM THE TYPICAL GOVERNMENT VETTING AND ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSES DEMANDED BY OTHER CITIES THAT BORING PITCHED TO – INCLUDING THOSE IN ILLINOIS AND CALIFORNIA.

THE HEAD OF THE LAS VEGAS CONVENTION AND VISITORS AUTHORITY CALLED THE LOOP PROJECT THE ONLY FEASIBLE OPTION TO EASE TRAFFIC IN THE CITY WITH THE CLARK COUNTY COMMISSION AND LAS VEGAS CITY COUNCIL GRANTING BORING PERMISSION TO BUILD AND OPERATE THE SYSTEM UNDERGROUND WITHOUT ANY PUBLIC DEBATE.

THIS APPROVAL ALLOWED THE TRANSPORTATION TO RUN CLOSE TO HOMES AND BUSINESSES BYPASSING THE NORMAL CHECKS AND BALANCES THAT APPLY TO MAJOR PUBLIC TRANSIT PROJECTS.

ACCORDING TO RECORDS OBTAINED BY PRO PUBLICA AND CITY CAST LAS VEGAS … BORING HAS ALSO GOTTEN AROUND ENVIRONMENTAL AND LABOR REGULATIONS … INSTALLING TUNNELS WITHOUT WORK PERMITS ON COUNTY PROPERTY TWICE AND DUMPING UNTREATED WATER INTO STORM DRAINS AND THE SEWER SYSTEM.

THE COUNTY DID GIVE BORING CEASE-AND-DESIST LETTERS BUT NO FINES WERE ISSUED.

IN 20-22 BORING SUCCESSFULLY REQUESTED TO NO LONGER NEED A SPECIAL PERMIT, WHICH WOULD HAVE REQUIRED MORE EXTENSIVE REPORTING ON SAFETY AND ACCIDENTS.

AS A RESULT, THE COUNTY HAS SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED ITS OVERSIGHT OF THE PROJECT, DESPITE THE INVOLVEMENT OF TAXPAYER MONEY … FROM HOTEL ROOM TAXES AND CONVENTION REVENUE.

THE PROJECT IS ON TRACK TO BE A 68 MILE UNDERGROUND NETWORK, ACROSS MUCH OF THE CITY.

BORING HAS NOT COMMENTED ON PRO PUBLICA’S REPORT.

FOR SAN – I’M KARAH RUCKER.

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