A Tesla electric vehicle heads from the Las Vegas Convention Center toward Resorts World through the Vegas Loop.
Tuesday, June 13, 2023 | 7:12 p.m.
The Vegas Loop will be expanding its reach once again following a 6-0 vote during Tuesday’s Las Vegas planning commission meeting in favor of the company updating their route to include more track throughout Las Vegas city limits.
The updated route will allow Elon Musk’s company to add underground rails near areas like the Smith Center, Palace Station, Las Vegas Boulevard and Main Street, according to documents provided to planning commission members.
“It’s gonna change the way that we travel up and down the boulevard and hopefully to the airport and to Allegiant Stadium and everything else,” Commissioner Trinity Haven Schlottman said. “I love the fact that we have the connectivity and downtown and the Medical District and everything.”
Although station plans were provided, city officials said stations would be determined at a later date following Site Development Plan reviews. Some potential locations for stations include Area 15, the Medical District and Symphony Park, said Stephanie Allen, a representative for The Boring Company.
Allen added that “the (Boring Company’s) goal is to begin operations in Las Vegas sometime this year.”
The only route running currently is the Convention Center Loop, which connects four at the Las Vegas Convention Center and one at Resorts World, said Tyler Fairbanks, project manager from The Boring Company.
Once the Vegas Loop is fully operational, it is projected to cost $12 for a 7.7-mile ride from downtown to the Harry Reid International Airport, according to The Boring Company.
Last month, Clark County commissioners approved another 18 stations for the Vegas Loop, bringing the total to 69 stops and extending the underground tunnels another 29 miles. Additional stations and track expansions in Las Vegas city limits were already planned at that time.
UNLV in March also received approval from the Nevada System of Higher Education’s Board of Regents to complete the sale of a 1.3-acre parcel near the Thomas & Mack Center used for parking to the Boring Company for a station on campus.
The UNLV station is expected to be finished by late 2023, said Tyler Fairbanks, head of project development for the Boring Company, in the March Board of Regents meeting.
With this approval from the Las Vegas planning commission, the Vegas Loop will now have a total of 69 planned stations and over 65 miles of tunnels, according to The Boring Company.
More stops are possibly to come in Las Vegas after the Site Development Plan reviews.
The Boring Company will now have to bring their updated map in front of the Las Vegas City Council at their July 19 meeting for final approval.
