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Elon Musk says the Boring Company's first test tunnel for its high-speed transit system will open to the public in a matter of months.
In a tweet announcing the news, the billionaire entrepreneur said that free rides will be offered to the public on December 11th.
Opens Dec 10
– Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 22, 2018
The test tunnel is being constructed in Hawthorne, California, the home of one of Musk's business ventures, SpaceX.
According to the Boring Company's website, the tunnel travels a short distance from SpaceX's headquarters before turning to several miles. But the road of tunnel testing is not actually that important. Rather, the December unveiling presents a huge opportunity for Elon Musk and the Boring Company to give the project global publicity and show off the system's potential.
The plan
In case it is passed by, Musk's ambition is not only to revolutionize the tunneling industry with faster, more efficient boring machines, but to use them to build networks of tunnels aimed at easing congestion on busy city streets.
Cars, cars and cyclists, would be transported on electric-powered sleds at speeds of up to 150mph to multiple destinations across the city. Vehicles and passenger pods would be able to be accessed via an elevator system, although the elevators may also connect to office buildings or even private residences.
When a journey begins, the sled moves from one side to the other. "This is a big difference compared to what has been stopped at every stop, whether you're getting off or not," Musk has said previously.
Will it really happen?
It all sounds very exciting, but to make it a reality, it is necessary to prove that the system actually works, and then convince regulators of its safety and viability.
With many cities struggling with gridlocked streets, proposals for solutions are always welcomed by the authorities. Encouragingly for the Boring Company, 18-mile tunnel between Chicago and O'Hare International Airport, and the company's idea for a road between Dodger Stadium and a transit hub Los Angeles also received supportive responses from the authorities.
If December's demonstration turns to a fancy theme park ride, perhaps Musk's ambitious subterranean plan could really be brought to the forefront of the nation.
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