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Elon Musk Wants To Build A Tunnel To Dodger Stadium And Charge Fans About $1 To Ride
SpaceX, Tesla and The Boring Company founder Elon Musk speaks at the 2018 SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition, in Hawthorne on July 22, 2018. (Photo by Robyn Beck /AFP/Getty Images)
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Metro has its Dodger Stadium Express bus. L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti pitched building an aerial gondola. Someone even had the idea of building a monorail. Now, tech billionaire Elon Musk wants to bring his Loop system to the ballpark.
Musk's Boring Company is proposing to build a roughly 3.6-mile "zero-emissions, high-speed, underground public transportation system" to ferry fans up to Chavez Ravine. It's been dubbed The Dugout Loop.
The system would transport eight to 16 passengers per vehicle in what the company calls "electric skates," which are capable of reaching speeds up to 150 miles per hour.
The Boring Co. announces plans to build "Dugout Loop" transit system between Dodger Stadium and Red Line. The more mobility options, the better, says Metro. https://t.co/nbob6D44r4 pic.twitter.com/nY0sY6tUrT
— LA Metro (@metrolosangeles) August 16, 2018
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The Boring Co. said construction would not affect Metro stations or lead to any road closures. Here are some of the key points of the proposal:
- The Loop would start in either the Los Feliz, East Hollywood, or Rampart Village neighborhood. The west-to-east route to the stadium would begin near existing Metro stations at "Loop Lifts," which would use elevators or ramps to get passenger cars into the tunnel.
- The trip will take about 4 minutes, according to the company.
- The projected fare for riders is roughly $1, but that number is not finalized.
- They plan to cap the number of riders to 1,400 people per ballgame or event. That's about 2.5 percent of Dodger Stadium's capacity. The Boring Co. says that number could increase based on city and community feedback.
- The company says construction of the tunnel and loop lifts would take about 14 months, but gave no estimate on when buulding could start if approved.
- The project would be "100% privately funded" and "require zero taxpayer dollars."
Always exciting to see innovative ideas like the proposed Dugout Loop to @Dodgers Stadium that could help ease congestion on our roads and make our most iconic destinations more accessible to everyone. https://t.co/vleQtpUqnt
— MayorOfLA (@MayorOfLA) August 16, 2018
The company said it's working with L.A's Bureau of Engineering to start an environmental impact report. The public will get a chance to learn more about the project and weigh in at a meeting to be held at Dodger Stadium on Aug. 28 from 6:15 p.m. to 9 p.m. More on that meeting can be found here.
For an idea of how the technology is expected to work, check out this video from The Boring Company:
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