Las Vegas approves more underground transportation tunnels

The Las Vegas, NV city council approved expansion plans to build out an underground transportation system featuring 81 stations and 68 miles of tunnels to be constructed by the Boring Co.  

The Las Vegas City Council unanimously approved the Boring Co.’s plan to expand the system in the city’s jurisdiction, mainly downtown.

That addition brings the number of stations to be located within the city’s boundaries to 21. The remaining 60 would be located in Clark County’s jurisdiction, where the Boring Co.’s expansion in May was previously approved, The Las Vegas Review Journal reported.

The only portion of the Vegas Loop in operation is centered on the Las Vegas Convention Center. There are three stations between three main expo halls at the facility, with an offshoot to Resorts World also open. Two other links to the convention center are in the construction phase — one to the Encore and the other to the Westgate.

The convention center loop has been operational for about two years and has seen 1.2 million passengers over that span. The highest daily capacity of the system during that time is 32,000 riders.

When work on the loop outside of the convention center will begin remains to be seen.

Plans are for the system to be built in phases, then later connected to create a seamless transportation option from the south Strip to downtown. Each property will pay for their prospective stations, while the Boring Co. will foot the bill for the cost to build out the tunnel system. Boring Co. also will operate the line once it’s open and will charge a varying fee, dependent on the length of trip.

The first section likely to be constructed under the Strip will be the Tropicana section, which will include Allegiant Stadium, resorts near Las Vegas Boulevard and Tropicana Avenue and UNLV.

Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman isn’t sure the project will ever come to fruition, but voted in favor of the extension anyway, due to the urging of the various resorts and other entities in downtown.

“I am one who just does not believe will come to be, certainly not in my lifetime,” Goodman said during Wednesday’s meeting. “Hopefully in the lifetime forthcoming. Moving three and four people at a time does not get this on … I want more accessibility, I want to move people more easily and I’d like it to happen immediately, because we need that movement of people now.”