Last week, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority Board of Directors approved a recommendation to select The Boring Co. to design, construct and operate a people mover for the Las Vegas Convention Center.
The Boring Co. and the LVCVA will now work to determine specific design, construction and operational plans and negotiate a contract for final approval by the LVCVA board in a subsequent meeting anticipated by June 2019. The cost to build the people is estimated at $30 to $60 million.
“Las Vegas has maintained its reputation as a leading travel destination because we are driven by innovation and hospitality,” said LVCVA CEO and President, Steve Hill. “This project is an example of how our leading principles can create an experience benefitting our community and valued visitors.”
Currently in phase 2 of a three-phase expansion, the Las Vegas Convention Center will span 200 acres when complete in time for the Consumer Electronics Show in January 2021. Phase 2 includes construction of a new facility in what had been a paved lot on the northwest corner of Paradise Pkwy. and Convention Center Drive, creating a two-mile, 15 minute walk from the northwest corner of the convention center to the southeast corner. A joint venture between Turner Construction Co. and Martin Harris Construction is currently constructing the new building.
The proposed people-mover solution would reduce the time to travel from corner-to-corner to 1 minute. The proposal calls for a loop of underground express-route tunnels to carry passengers in modified Tesla autonomous electric vehicles at speeds up to 155 mph. During the negotiation phase, the LVCVA and The Boring Co. will review three proposed routes for the tunnel. Two of the routes would run under the current Central Hall, which will be renovated in phase three.
“It is not so much that this is new technology but an innovative way to use existing technology in a new way,” Hill says.
The LVCVA began considering a people-mover in 2018 when it issued a request for proposal. The Boring Co. was selected over two other finalists which were not identified by the LVCVA.
“We’ve been to LA, seen (The Boring Co.) test tunnel and looked at how that would operate and that is helpful. But we also know the team. (The Boring Co. CEO) Steve Davis ran the Dragon program at Space X. This is a team that has exceptional skill and experience,” says Hill.
The Boring Co. and stakeholders in Las Vegas are also considering expanding the loop system beyond the Las Vegas Convention Center. According to The Boring Co., future expansions may include McCarran International Airport, Las Vegas Strip resorts, Las Vegas Stadium, and, in the long term, Los Angeles.
“Las Vegas is a high-energy, high-technology destination equipped to welcome the world, and we are excited to deliver a system that will help visitors efficiently navigate the city’s many offerings,” said Steve Davis, president, The Boring Co.
