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SAN ANTONIO – The Alamo Regional Mobility Authority is asking for suggestions for a potential transportation project between San Antonio International Airport and downtown. San Antonio Express News reports that Elon Musk-owned The Boring Company is interested in making such a plan a reality.
“Going into the private sector opens up opportunities for what is possible,” said Greg Griffin, program director and assistant professor of urban and regional planning at the University of Texas at San Antonio. “And whether that leads to a specific project or not, it certainly opens the imagination and conversation about what an appropriate solution is for San Antonio.”
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The company has been working to bring high-speed or hyperloop travel to multiple markets for years. The Clark County Commissioners of Nevada approved a major expansion of a Loop project in the Las Vegas area. A first loop under the Las Vegas Convention Center opened earlier this year.
A real hyperloop with completely autonomous and fast travel can still take years. With the current offer, passengers in Teslas can be driven to their destination.
The congress center’s loop serves three stations and is designed for 4,400 passengers per hour. The later Vegas Loop projects would handle 57,000 passengers per hour with 51 stations.
“I’m not sure if anyone is discussing this option as a solution to reducing congestion,” said Griffin. “Whether the future of a Tesla and tunnel project is a larger vehicle that corresponds more to a transit capacity with more than 10 people, maybe up to 40 or 50 people like a typical bus, would be compared to a four to five person bus Interesting. People capacity that you just see in a car. “
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In addition to capacity, Griffin said there are other issues to consider, including cost and environmental impact.
“We have to think about the Edwards Aquifer. We have completely different rock conditions than there, let’s just say, the ‘Teslas and Tunnels’ project like in the Las Vegas Convention Center has already been implemented, ”he said. “So we may have a context here that could be more complicated.”
There is also the problem of getting to the loop stations. This is where potential transit partnerships can come into play.
VIA President and CEO Jeff Arndt keeps an eye on the potential of the technology as it evolves.
“The essence and most effective use of Hyperloop technology is when you travel long distances,” said Arndt. “A hyperloop between here and Austin with perhaps a stopover in New Braunfels and San Marcos, let’s say, for example, a project like this could make sense.”
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Proposals will be submitted to the Alamo RMA by December 1, and a finalist is expected to be announced in February.
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https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2021/11/09/elon-musk-reportedly-eyeing-san-antonio-for-teslas-and-tunnels-project/
