When different conventions happen simultaneously, the challenge is to move the visitors to various locations swiftly to enable them to optimise their time.
To support this intent Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) has set up an underground transportation system located beneath the Las Vegas Convention Centre (LVCC) campus. The first-of-its-kind transportation solution, named the Las Vegas Convention Centre Loop, is operational and will be available when LVCC welcomes its first major convention, World of Concrete, in June 2021.
LVCVA on Friday provided the first look inside Elon Musk's innovative underground transportation system. The creation of the underground transportation system was born out of Musk's desire to solve traffic gridlock. As a result, the company is focused on building low-cost, fast-to-build underground transportation systems to alleviate traffic congestion. Going underground has several advantages as tunnels are structurally safe, weatherproof, noise-free and can meet growing capacity by quickly adding multiple levels.
The $52.5 million system will serve as a fun and quick way to move convention attendees throughout the more than 200-acre campus, all 40 feet beneath the ground in all-electric Tesla vehicles. Plans are on to develop an expanded system throughout the resort corridor, known as the Vegas Loop, which will ease traffic congestion and offer a new transportation option for visitors from as far north as Downtown Las Vegas, throughout the Strip and as far south as Allegiant Stadium.
Steve Hill, LVCVA President and CEO, said, 'We are excited to have partnered with Elon's company to bring this transportation 'first' to our valued convention customers. The expanded Loop system, when developed, will be a game-changer and a new 'must experience' attraction for our visitors.'
The company constructed two one-way, 0.8-mile (about 1.3km) vehicular tunnels and three passenger stations to connect the existing convention centre campus to the 1.4 million square foot West Hall expansion. The system will allow up to 4,400 convention attendees per hour to be whisked across the sprawling campus in just under two minutes, free of charge. By foot, the walk would take approximately 25 minutes. Instead, passengers are carried in all-electric Tesla vehicles to their destination. The cars can go 150 mph but will travel at 35-40 mph due to the tunnels' short distance. The system will be staffed with drivers initially with the plan to operate them autonomously in the future.