Fort Lauderdale accepts Musk’s Boring Company proposal to build transportation bridge

By Mohammed Sadique On July 7, 2021 12:25 PM

The city of Fort Lauderdale, Florida has accepted the proposal from Elon Musk’s Boring Company to construct a tunnel that would transport people from downtown to the beach, according to Mayor Dean J. Trantalis in a tweet late Tuesday. But, Musk does not have a good history in the tunnel building arena, potentially setting the people of Fort Lauderdale up for disappointment.

Fort Lauderdale formally accepted tonight a proposal from @elonmusk's @boringcompany to build an underground transit system between downtown and the beach. Other firms have 45 days to submit competing proposals. This could be a truly innovative way to reduce traffic congestion. pic.twitter.com/R7Bh2NPVnl

— Mayor Dean J. Trantalis (@DeanTrantalis) July 7, 2021

“Other firms have 45 days to submit competing proposals. This could be a truly innovative way to reduce traffic congestion,” Mayor Trantalis tweeted optimistically. Musk has a completed a grand total of one commercial tunneling project and it has not lived up to the promise of being a high-speed “Loop” technology.

The original idea was to use fully autonomous vehicles that could carry 16 passengers. In theory, these vehicles were supposed to float at a speed of 150 miles per hour. But the media event of the experimental tunnel in Los Angeles, 2018, had a completed different effect on the journalists that were present there.

The project failed to emulate the visuals and functions that were seen in animations during the development stage. Some journalists went on to compare the experience to riding on a dirt road.

Musk’s transportation project in Las Vegas currently comprises of plain electric cars that are piloted by humans at about 30-40 miles per hour, a stark contrast to the picture that was painted in presentations and animations.

All this questions the decision to appoint Musk’s company for the construction of this transportation bridge. The story of Fort Lauderdale can potentially be quite different if Musk delivers on his promise of high-speed, high-occupancy, autonomous vehicles cruising through the roads.