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So Las Vegas is getting a more expensive, less reliable and weird metro system? I don’t understand the appeal of Musk’s tunnels. Public transportation is a litt

So Las Vegas is getting a more expensive, less reliable and weird metro system? I don’t understand the appeal of Musk’s tunnels. Public transportation is a little bit of a solved problem but for some reason in most of US is considered lower class transportation. It’s cliche but you have to really look at europe and learn how to design cities for people, instead of cars.

acchow 4y ago
This is because Las Vegas doesn't want to become a mass transit + cycling + walking city. It wants to stay car first. TBH, given the climate in that desert, I can't really blame them...
supertrope 4y ago
It’s worse than a subway as Teslas going single file through a tiny tunnel is inherently low capacity. Fire safety seems sub par too. But at least there isn’t a vagrant sitting in the same metal box as you. Walkable urban areas and infrastructure are not a sexy marketable product. Most transportation networks run at a loss without subsidies: airports, highways, domestically built boats. Profitable enterprises depend on transportation but stay a layer higher.
- nescioquid 4y ago
  > Fire safety seems sub par too. I assume that they are able to meet whatever the relevant safety codes are, but whenever I see footage from those tunnels, I wonder what happens in case of a car fire or some other bad failure scenario. It seems like traffic behind can't back up or turn around or go past. Would the column of traffic ahead have to clear the route for first responders to access? Always been curious about that.
  - SpikeDad 4y ago
    If the current tunnel is any example there are no emergency exits. You can't even get by a car if you were walking. Imagine a full Tesla lithium battery fire in the tunnel. You are DEAD. It's nonsense.
ncmncm 4y ago
"Traffic jams, but underground!" does not seem very appealing.
m463 4y ago
My take is that vegas is into showy attractions, and this qualifies. I remember walking down the strip (in the HOT burning sun) and I came across a people mover just going "somewhere". I stepped on and voila... found myself in an air conditioned casino. Maybe that's what these tunnels will do.
StanislavPetrov 4y ago
This may work when designing a city but does little to help cities that already exist. Las Vegas is also in the middle of a desert where temperatures routinely soar above 100 and people die of exposure. Bike lanes aren't going to cut it there.

acchow 4y ago

This is because Las Vegas doesn't want to become a mass transit + cycling + walking city. It wants to stay car first. TBH, given the climate in that desert, I can't really blame them...

supertrope 4y ago

It’s worse than a subway as Teslas going single file through a tiny tunnel is inherently low capacity. Fire safety seems sub par too. But at least there isn’t a vagrant sitting in the same metal box as you. Walkable urban areas and infrastructure are not a sexy marketable product. Most transportation networks run at a loss without subsidies: airports, highways, domestically built boats. Profitable enterprises depend on transportation but stay a layer higher.

nescioquid 4y ago
> Fire safety seems sub par too. I assume that they are able to meet whatever the relevant safety codes are, but whenever I see footage from those tunnels, I wonder what happens in case of a car fire or some other bad failure scenario. It seems like traffic behind can't back up or turn around or go past. Would the column of traffic ahead have to clear the route for first responders to access? Always been curious about that.
- SpikeDad 4y ago
  If the current tunnel is any example there are no emergency exits. You can't even get by a car if you were walking. Imagine a full Tesla lithium battery fire in the tunnel. You are DEAD. It's nonsense.

ncmncm 4y ago

"Traffic jams, but underground!" does not seem very appealing.

m463 4y ago

My take is that vegas is into showy attractions, and this qualifies. I remember walking down the strip (in the HOT burning sun) and I came across a people mover just going "somewhere". I stepped on and voila... found myself in an air conditioned casino. Maybe that's what these tunnels will do.

StanislavPetrov 4y ago

This may work when designing a city but does little to help cities that already exist. Las Vegas is also in the middle of a desert where temperatures routinely soar above 100 and people die of exposure. Bike lanes aren't going to cut it there.