Dive Brief:

• The Boring Co.’s next project is moving forward, as the Elon Musk-owned company begins negotiations with the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority to tunnel a 4-mile transit loop from the Metrolink train station in Rancho Cucamonga, California, to nearby Ontario International Airport, the Daily Bulletin reported. 
• The SBCTA unanimously voted in favor of the proposal last week, directing transportation authority staff to begin working on the details with The Boring Co. Should the sides reach an agreement, a contract could be prepared for board approval by September, and completion and operation of the people mover could come as early as 2023.
• The decision to move forward with the project is a sign of continued success in these pitches for The Boring Co. The Las Vegas City Council Dec. 17 voted unanimously to advance plans for the Las Vegas Loop project.

Dive Insight:

During the SBCTA meeting, Carrie Schindler, director of transit and rail and presenter of the loop item on the agenda, said she couldn’t confidently share a cost of the project, but she had been in contact with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority to learn more about the final price on its people mover.

The California project would be a major win for The Boring Co., which continues to propose projects around the country as a part of Musk’s ambitious plans to revolutionize public transit.

The San Bernardino loop — which The Boring Co. originally proposed in May 2020 — will likely look much like the LVCVA loop when finished. The latter includes two, 1-mile-long tunnels, which will use Tesla vehicles to rapidly transport attendees across the convention center campus. Should loop construction under the Las Vegas Strip continue, early cost estimates place the project between $35 million and $45 million.

The company’s boring machine — designed to tunnel faster and more consistently than traditional machines — would carve a path under Milliken Avenue and then west to Airport Drive. When finished, Tesla Model 3s or 12-passenger Tesla trams would autonomously drive through the tunnels at speeds of up to 127 mph, covering the 4-mile trip in about five minutes. Estimates say the loop would carry about 1,200 people per day, according to the Daily Bulletin.

Additionally, the loop would require construction of three above-ground stations, including one near the existing Metrolink rail station and two at the airport's terminals.