Ft. Lauderdale accepts proposal from Elon Musk's Boring Co. for underground transit system

The Mayor of Fort Lauderdale Dean Trantalis said this week that he accepted a proposal from Elon Musk’s tunnel company the Boring Company to build an underground transit system in the Florida city.

The aim of the tunnel, which will be called Las Olas, is to reduce traffic congestion, according to Trantalis.

Other firms will have 45 days to submit competing proposals.

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Trantalis noted that the Boring Company is off to a successful start in Las Vegas, where excavation was completed in May 2020 beneath the Las Vegas Convention Center. A soft opening was held in June of this year.

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As previously reported by FOX Business, the Boring Company is also in talks with Miami. Musk met with Miami Mayor Francis Suarez in Vegas earlier this year and toured a facility as the pair discussed possibly constructing something similar in Miami.

Musk said at the beginning of the year that he had spoken with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis about tunnels, too. He noted that the benefits of the underground transit system is to reduce traffic and the emitted gases that would potentially help the environment.

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Local officials in Florida are seeking out solutions to traffic issues as the state has seen an influx of movers.

According to data from the state, more than 300,000 new residents settled in Florida between April 2020 and April 2021.