The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority Wednesday approved a $48.67 million contract with Elon Musk’s The Boring company to design and construct an underground people mover at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
All the LVCVA board members, except for Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman, voted in favor of the contract.
The people mover is being designed to rapidly and safely carry passengers in autonomous electric vehicles via a loop of underground express-route tunnels. The contract highlights three underground passenger stations, a pedestrian tunnel and two vehicular tunnels with an expected total length of approximately one mile.
“Las Vegas will continue to elevate the experience of our visitors with innovation, such as with this project, and by focusing on the current and future needs of our guests,” LVCVA CEO Steve Hill said in a statement.
The LVCVA’s approval of The Boring Company contract resulted from a multi-step process that started in 2018 with a request for information to gauge interest. A request for proposal was then issued. Interviews with the selected finalists were conducted by an evaluation team who determined the recommended company.
The evaluation team was comprised of representatives from the LVCVA, private organizations including a Las Vegas resort property, and a consultant with experience in transportation systems, construction and operations of automated people-moving systems.
The Boring Company’s contract calls for an underground loop system that offers reduced total costs, less disruption to pedestrian and vehicle traffic, and faster construction time than traditional at-grade or above-ground options while maximizing passenger and pedestrian safety. The loop will be designed for ridership of at least 4,400 passengers per hour and is scalable depending on Las Vegas Convention Center attendance.
“The Boring Company is excited to contribute to the future of Las Vegas, and work with leaders who have a vision for transportation,” company president Steve Davis said in a statement.
The Las Vegas Convention Center, which is undergoing a nearly $1 billion expansion, will cover 200 acres when complete in time for CES in January 2021. Conventioneers walking the facility from end to end would log approximately 1.5 miles creating the need for an on-property guest transportation solution.
In 2018, Las Vegas had more than 42 million visitors. The Las Vegas Convention Center hosts more than 1.6 million attendees annually.
