The Vegas Loop project just got the go-ahead to build a station near the airport, though not directly within it. That’s a lot closer than the monorail ever got!
It’s a technicality…. But I’ll take it!
This little location trick hopefully will appease the taxi-cab mafia and keep the ride-share goons bitching to a minimum.
Ride-share drivers already have enough to complain about with Amazon’s Zoox robotaxi service nearing its final approval to operate. (YEA!)
Here’s the Trick
The Boring Company, building The Vegas Loop, recently made a strategic move to serve Harry Reid International Airport. According to Clark County records, the company purchased a plot of land near the airport for $5.96 million.
A building permit application submitted in May indicates plans to construct a Loop station on the 5032 Palo Verde Rd site. This location is designed to be the primary entry and exit point for Loop vehicles servicing the airport.
This site is positioned just south of Tropicana Avenue, near where Harry Reid International Airport plans to build its future multimodal transit center and parking garage, making it the closest planned Loop station to the airport.
NTA Grants Approval for Airport Service
Following this strategic land acquisition, The Boring Company received official approval from the Nevada Transportation Authority (NTA) to begin offering rides to and from the airport. The NTA granted a license to TBC’s subsidiary, Paradise Transportation Co., for service within Clark County, covering all previously approved Vegas Loop stations.
A key requirement for this service is that all trips must utilize the Vegas Loop tunnels for a portion of the ride. No freestyling!
Dual Pricing and Surface Travel Limits
This is Vegas, so it can't have straight pricing. The service will feature a dual pricing structure. Customers will pay a set fare for the underground ‘Loop’ portion of the ride, which varies based on trip length, plus an additional fixed rate for the necessary above-ground travel component. This fixed rate is $7 for trips up to three miles and $12 for trips over three miles.
I’m figuring the “above-ground” fee is just another word for “Kickback” to get what’s left of the taxicab mafia to not bitch too much about the new competition.
As part of the NTA approval, The Boring Company’s vehicles are limited to traveling no more than four miles on surface streets.
Of course, the tourist-hating Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) president and CEO Steve Hill had to get his five seconds of face time with the media, stating that he does not view this dual pricing element as a threat to the established taxicab and ride-hailing industries.
Operational Status and Expansion
The current operational Loop features stations at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Encore, Resorts World, and Westgate. The company is authorized to utilize its current fleet of 102 vehicles, which includes Tesla Models X, Y, and Cybertrucks, for these services.
The Boring Company’s long-term plan calls for a full build-out of 68 miles of tunnels and 104 stations, connecting the resort corridor, downtown Las Vegas, Allegiant Stadium, and Chinatown.
Regulatory requirements mandate that The Boring Company provide a status update to the NTA every six months, with a five-year compliance review scheduled to ensure progress on the planned 58 additional miles of construction.
What are your thoughts?
Mark Anthony
The Vegas Tourist
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