In his quest to revolutionize travel, Elon Musk had big plans for New York City.
Similarly to the tunnels under construction in Los Angeles, the Boring Company was exploring the potential of building such tunnels to transport passengers from Manhattan to John F. Kennedy International Airport, the Los Angeles Times reported.
While public transportation already exists for travelers, the commute is often a dreary endeavor that often ends up lasting longer than an hour.
New York City engineers have since knocked the Boring Co.’s proposal, citing issues with ventilation and emergency situations. There were also concerns about how building new underground tunnels could jeopardize the existing tunnels. A report on the feasibility of the tunnels was completed recently.
A spokesperson for the Boring Co. said the talks, which were initiated by New York City officials, were only preliminary and did not go further.
If approved, the tunnels would span less than 14 feet in diameter, about half the width of typical one-lane tunnels. There would also be regular emergency exits, according to its website, that would be “safer and wider” than existing comparable infrastructure.
The company is already well underway to build tunnels on the West Coast. In December, the company unveiled its first test tunnel in Hawthorne, the South Bay city where the firm has been quietly building its operations. [LAT] – Natalie Hoberman