Syed Waseem
Elon Musk is boring again!
No jibe intended there.
Despite the Tesla turmoil Musk finds himself in the midst of, his desire to keep surging ahead, seemingly, never diminishes.
Well, that’s what his Boring Company’s August 15 announcement, proposing to build an underground tunnel to the Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, would apparently suggest.
The proposed high-speed, zero-emission, underground public transportation system, connecting Los Feliz, East Hollywood, or Rampart Village neighborhoods to Dodger Stadium, will transport baseball fans and concertgoers – and everybody else who wants to make the trip in just about 4 minutes at an outrageously affordable cost of about a dollar per ride per person.
And, by the way, the company is officially calling it Dugout Loop – kind of fits, doesn’t it?
The Boring Company is excited to announce Dugout Loop – a high-speed, zero-emissions, underground public transportation system, allowing fans to get from the Red Line to Dodger Stadium in under 4 minutes https://t.co/q53zKeDkts
— The Boring Company (@boringcompany) August 16, 2018
The company says Dugout Loop is being built in an attempt to address LA’s traffic woes, to some extent.
It is intended to provide an environment-friendly economical public transport option to some 250,000 people who brave the LA traffic every year to get to their favorite game, or concert, happening at the home to the Los Angeles Dodgers – the city’s Major League Baseball franchise.
While that is a just a small percentage of the number of people who visit the stadium each year, the company says it’s a start and should “complement the existing public transportation systems and provide an all-electric and affordable option” to people headed that way.
The Boring Company said:
“Initially, Dugout Loop will be limited to approximately 1,400 people (approximately 2.5% of Stadium capacity) per event.
“Based on City and community feedback, it could be possible to increase ridership per game to 2,800 per game or event (5% of Stadium capacity).
“Between games and events Dugout Loop would transport 250,000 people per year.”
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has welcomed the proposal, saying that the innovative idea “could help ease congestion on our roads and make our most iconic destinations more accessible to everyone.”
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
— Mayor Eric Garcetti (@MayorOfLA) August 16, 2018
There are three possible originating points in the western terminus area – including Vermont/Sunset, Vermont/Santa Monica, and Vermont/Beverly stations – that the company says will be “evaluated in the review process,” before deciding on a winner.
The Boring Company says that the likelihood of the tunnel causing any disruptions in the Metro service is nonexistent, as the western terminus’ proximity to the Red Line is, in fact, being planned to “complement the Metro.”
“Dugout Loop does not have any Metro crossings and its western terminus will be close to the Red Line in order to complement the Metro,” said the Wednesday announcement.
“The Boring Company is coordinating with Metro on a regular basis to ensure project compatibility and utility, and will not begin construction until Metro has fully approved of the plan,” it added.
The 3.6-mile-long single-line tunnel between the stadium and the western terminus will run underneath public right-of-way or land belonging to or leased by The Boring Company, while the eastern terminus on the stadium side will be built on “privately owned property at or near the Dodger Stadium parking lot.”
The construction phase is expected to last for about 12-14 months, during which the company proposes to build the tunnel and two Loop Lifts – one each for the eastern and western terminuses – along with 6 ventilation shafts that would also serve as emergency exit points.
The shafts, which shouldn’t take longer than six weeks to complete, will be located on privately-owned property, alongside the alignment.
Concrete “shelves,” which the company plans to install once the tunnel is complete, will serve as the guideway for the electric skates that are capable of zipping through the tunnel at 125-150 miles per hour, carrying a payload of 8-16 passengers at a time.
Powered by multiple electric motors, the emission-free electric skates are fully stabilized autonomous vehicles, a feature that allows for increased safety as it eliminates the human error quotient and the possibility of a skate veering off-course.
The 14-foot-diameter tunnel will be dug at least two diameter lengths deep, with the top of the tunnel running some 30 feet and the bottom 44 feet below the surface of the ground, and may even go deeper to avoid existing underground infrastructure like utilities, bridge piles, pipelines, and the likes.
The electric skates will collect passengers from the surface level at the Dugout Loop terminuses and sink underground, down a Loop Lift consisting of an elevator or a ramp, to the level from where the 4-minute subterranean trip to and from the Dodgers Stadium will start.
“We were excited when The Boring Company came to us with this project,” Los Angeles Dodgers’ Chief Financial Officer, Tucker Kain, said in a statement.
“Whether it is flying overhead in an aerial transit system or bypassing traffic through an underground tunnel, we are always looking for innovative ways to make it easier for Dodgers fans to get to a game,” he said, going on to say that the franchise was “committed to working with our neighbors and fans as the project moves forward.”
BREAKING: @elonmusk’s @boringcompany will build a 3.6 mile tunnel from East Hollywood to Dodger Stadium that can carry 1,500 fans to the game in four minutes versus the more than an hour those fans spend traveling by car to the game today. pic.twitter.com/v9joUxbsrE
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) August 16, 2018
Here are some more reactions on Twitter
THE DUGOUT LOOP. For a fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers, the only thing worse than watching the baseball team lose might be the drive to and from Dodger Stadium. LA traffic is often a nightmare anyway, but when fans swarm in and… https://t.co/oF8mJjpms7
— The iChurch Method (@ichurchmethod) August 16, 2018
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
— Metro (@metrolosangeles) August 16, 2018
Buckle up. @ElonMusk and The @boringcompany are at it again.
Check out the technology being used for "The Dugout Loop," a planned tunnel connecting East Hollywood to the LA @Dodgers Stadium. pic.twitter.com/ttxPmlEfLV
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) August 16, 2018
LA County is at the forefront of new technology & #greenjobs. I look forward to seeing this new tunnel take riders to @Dodgers Stadium safely. There’s nothing boring about the @boringcompany’s proposal!
Find more info and provide your comments here: https://t.co/btiwf3U2ye
— Hilda Solis (@HildaSolis) August 16, 2018
$1, 4 minute ride into Dodger Stadium would be known as
“The Dugout Loop” https://t.co/CxQWfgeA3V— Dodger University (@TheDodgerU) August 16, 2018