The Vegas Loop

I have gone inside the Vegas Loop, also called the Vegas Tesla Loop and took a ride in a Tesla Model Y, interviewed the driver about the experience. Our ride was from the Las Vegas Convention Center to the Resorts World Hotel and Casino. At the end, I share what I have learned from the experience and the driver. If you ever want to try it out, this is the video to watch.

[@arsenkay]

If you didn’t come from TikTok, you’re allowed to like and comment!

[@TechNowJC]

I did not

[@luszczi]

So the emergency plan is driving backwards? Ok.

[@kevinbailey8827]

The emergency plan is to evacuate the tunnel. Get the passengers out and clear the tunnel so that whatever caused the need to evacuate can be dealt with. Driving backwards accomplishes this. Or driving forward, if you're in front of whatever the problem is. If you don't think driving backward will work, you won't qualify to be a driver in the Vegas Loop.

[@Blubb5000]

Walking from one station to the next is faster. I tried it. What a joke.

[@JimJones-kj8jk]

Now you've angered the Elon nuthuggers!

[@runlit120]

Actually it takes 20+ minutes at full conventions to walk across the campus.

[@RavynMancer]

It just looks like a complete joke to me. I don't see how it serves the public whatsoever.

[@runlit120]

LVCC Loop is a people mover at the convention. It was never meant to serve the public. The 60+ mile loop will be serving to the public at a cheaper cost than trains and even buses. Much faster too.

[@danielasdfFI]

They could just use bikes in the Tunnel. Way more safer and fun

[@MareTranquil]

I would prefer scooters - bikes are a bit iffy if you're wearing, for example, a freshly pressed business suit.

[@runlit120]

Vegas is 110F tomorrow. You going to bike yourself at a convention? Slap in the face to wheelchair users btw.

[@runlit120]

uh no. it's 110 F degrees and some people are handicapped. and what happens to all the bikes when everyone goes from south hall to west hall? no more bikes at south hall.

[@MareTranquil]

@@runlit120 It would certainly take way fewer people to transport a bunch of scooters in case they all end up on one side, than it takes now. The current solution is literally "have one employee for each car at all times"! As for accessability: If you can walk, you can usually drive a scooter. And if you cannot walk, you cannot use the current solution either, since i doubt you can easily fit a wheelchair into one of these cars.

[@runlit120]

@@MareTranquil uh first off, nope. loop already does 4,500/hr with 70 drivers. 70 people moving 4,500 scooters throughout the system means 1 person needs to distribute 64 scooters per hour or about 1 scooter per minute. you couldn't even go from south hall to resorts world on a scooter in a minute. secondly, everyone rides scooters at different speeds. if you have a group of 70 year olds on a scooter, you think they're going to ride fast? nope. even worse if you have an entire group walking, making scooter useless since they'l be blocked by walking traffic. third, current solution allows all wheelchair users to ride the system. all cars have transfer boards and they do have an ADA compliant vehicle available upon request if you do not want to use a transfer board. you're wrong.

[@MareTranquil]

They still have drivers? THEY STILL HAVE DRIVERS? In 2019, Musk said that in 2020 there will be a million robotaxis on the streets. Now it's 2024, and in one of the most advantageous environment for self-driving cars imaginable (a single lane tunnel with nothing but other Teslas on it, where Musk has complete control), he still does not entrust anything to his self-driving features? Well, he has announced another presentation about robotaxis to be held on August 8th. That's going to be fun.

[@kevinbailey8827]

I'm looking forward to seeing what they show on August 8. Whatever it is won't be ready for a few years. I have no faith in Musk's timelines, but I expect we'll see ubiquitous autonomous vehicles on our streets eventually, and closed systems like this are a good place to start. It's not just Musk that has to approve the use of self-driving vehicles. Lawyers, insurers, and local regulators have to sign off.

[@AardvarkDK]

@@kevinbailey8827 "Lawyers, insurers, and local regulators have to sign off." You know there are cities where, say, Waymo have cars on the streets, right? So how on earth is it that Las Vegas, which SIGNED A CONTRACT WITH MUSK, refuses to let TBC/Tesla drive autonomously in these tunnels?

[@kevinbailey8827]

@@AardvarkDK Does Waymo have cars on the streets of Las Vegas? I’m interested in the actual answer to your question. I have confidence that there will be autonomous vehicles in these tunnels eventually. I don’t have confidence on any particular timeline.

[@AardvarkDK]

@@kevinbailey8827 Considering how obsessed you are with the LVL, it's pretty amazing that you don't know. Has Musk/Tesla/TBC made any statements regarding this other than blaming faceless bureaucrats in Las Vegas? Possibly the very same bureaucrats who had no problem giving permission to extensive tunnelling in the first place.

[@kevinbailey8827]

@@AardvarkDK Considering how obsessed I am with the LVL, It's pretty clear I would have said the answer if I knew it. I'm not aware of any recent statements from Musk/Tesla/TBC regarding this. They are not even blaming faceless bureaucrats. Possibly the same bureaucrats who approved the tunneling said no (for now) to autonomous driving. Or possibly it's _different_ ones. The approval for the project itself involves several relatively public bureaucracies with different goals. First is the LVCVA, which approved the original convention center loop. Then there is the Clark County bureaucracy, which approved part of the expansion. The City of Las Vegas also had to weigh in, as some iof it is in their jurisdiction. For safety and emergency planning, the Clark County Fire Department has participated. These bureaucracies are not faceless. They get quoted in newspapers and interviewed on TV. Then there are the ones who issue the actual permits for each new tunnel and station. Those are faceless. TBC can announce that they'll have a significant part of the loop done by the Super Bowl, but months later they're still waiting for the permits, so the Super Bowl didn't see any new tunnels. They'll need the FAA's permission to tunnel under the airport. Early maps showing a station at the terminal have been revised without that station. So my opinion is that it's not the _same_ bureaucrats saying yes and no at the same time. Maybe we'll learn more about Tesla's plans when they announce their Robo Taxi platform on August 8.

[@tomross4599]

The city also pays for this every year. Maybe that’s not clear from the video. They last paid Boring about $4.6 million in June 2023, for a 1 year contract.

[@runlit120]

This is way cheaper than a tram that they were about to build which would have accomplished the same outcome but more expensive.

[@Blubb5000]

You can walk from one station to another faster. The entire Tesla taxi service is completely and utterly useless. The entire thing has nothing more than a promotional advertising effect for the now completely bankrupt HyperLoop nonsense.

[@runlit120]

@@Blubb5000 I've walked from south hall to Resorts World. It is literally not faster.

[@Blubb5000]

@@runlit120 I tested it with a friend. He used that Tesla nonsense, I walked. I won.

[@runlit120]

@@Blubb5000 you didn't walk from south hall to resorts world. guaranteed.

[@MrCagatorio]

This is incredibly stupid. I'm so glad I live in Europe.

[@softwarephil1709]

“Sort of like a subway” but it only carries a few people, and it goes slowly.

[@mr.rainbowlovescoffee]

Thank you for sharing this with us. Looks like a lot of fun 😮❤

[@arsenkay]

Always a pleasure! Thank you Rainbow!

[@osculant]

Please elaborate as to which part looks fun…

[@runlit120]

The "traffic" of waiting for the cars to come out of the tunnels is due to the connection to Resorts World has only completed phase 1 of 3. The single tunnel is using for ingress and egress of cars. Phase 3 will unlock the egress tube route which will alleviate that issue.

[@DanDeGaston]

Your video convinced me that just instaling a moving sidewalk in the tunnels would have been more efficient than Tesla Drivers.

[@kevinbailey8827]

When I visited Vegas in the 90s there were moving sidewalks everywhere. They have mostly been removed. I don’t know why.

[@runlit120]

uh no. south hall to resorts world would be a lot faster with teslas.

[@franciscolanderos]

Correct me if I am wrong but I don’t recall you mentioning in this video, it’s free in between LVCC halls within 3 stops they have, west, north/central and south hall, all it’s necessary is to show your badge or ID you working/attending a convention, a couple of days ago I helped a lady that was on the furthest east point in south hall looking for west hall, I helped her get to that stop and they help taking her there and in the weather condition you are talking about in the video. Vegas is all about this, not what you are pointing out, change my mind 😅

[@AardvarkDK]

Another thing: why not use golf carts instead of Teslas? Much cheaper, much easier to get into and out of.

[@kevinbailey8827]

Golf carts probably don't have adequate safety ratings for traveling at 40 mph through these tunnels. The reason for using Tesla sedans in the Loop was that Tesla's were available and already tested. Plus they were already equipped for autonomous driving. I think that still is their goal. It doesn't have to be Teslas, but I think it will be going forward. Tesla is introducing a dedicated RoboTaxi vehicle on August 8 that reportedly will not have a steering wheel. I don't have any knowledge of what it will look like, but I'm hopeful that it will have features that make it a better fit for Loop systems. Automatic doors, Low deck that you can roll a wheelchair or mobility scooter onboard, seating for 4 or 6 passengers, or more. I'm hoping there will eventually be a Tesla vehicle that holds 12 or more passengers.

[@AardvarkDK]

@@kevinbailey8827 Holy Sh*t, how are you this naive, man? There is no autonomous driving. There will be no autonomous driving (ok, ok, that's probably a bit hyperbolic). No one cares about Musk's absurd "goals". There will be no Robotaxi in August. And I love how you're already inventing features for a non-existant car. You're completely deluded. And who cares if golf carts can only do 25 mph? That's plenty for these short distances. The reason that they're using Teslas is that The Loop is a Tesla/Musk promotion. That's it.

[@DanDeGaston]

@@kevinbailey8827 Say the golf carts only travel 20 mph. . . Does that really change the speed by more than 3 minutes. But if we used a 12-20 seater golf cart, then we need only 1 driver with no lines and faster loading/unloading times. Boom. . . Now we have fixed the 3 minutes longer, we are more green friendly, and we have solved 80% of the cost of autonomous driving.

[@kevinbailey8827]

@@DanDeGaston It will change the trip time for longer trips, such as to the Virgin Hotel station, or to the Airport entrance (which is 2 miles away). Those tunnels are being constructed now. The larger the system of tunnels grows, the less sense golf carts make. You wouldn't want to go by golf cart from the Brightline station to downtown Las Vegas. It's not a terrible idea for now, but it's a short-sighted one, considering the plans that have been approved.

[@DanDeGaston]

@@kevinbailey8827 Wait. . . Vegas is paying for more of these tunnels? Why. . . Just put in a metro system or light rail above ground. . . Teslas in Tunnels is a stupid idea. . . . I can't believe this is still expanding.

[@MrCardeso]

That loop thing appears to be just as dumb of an idea as it sounded. Which cities will waste their money implementing this?

[@AardvarkDK]

Fortunately only Vegas.

[@runlit120]

It's way more energy efficient and time efficient than subways actually.

[@RustyRedRhombus]

They could like tow each other like 7 or 8 at a time, to fit more people

[@kevinbailey8827]

As the system grows (there are over 90 stations planned), it becomes more and more likely that passengers in those 7 or 8 cars won't be going to the same place. If the cars were attached, you'd make most of the passengers stop at several stations before they got to their destination. Keep them separate, and each passenger gets where they want to go with no stops in the middle.

[@archimetropolis]

@kevinbailey8827 bit the cars would still be held back because there's one lane...

[@kevinbailey8827]

@@archimetropolis In practice it hasn’t happened. At busy shows the average trip time at the LVCC Loop has been under 2 minutes and the average wait time has been under 10 seconds. That’s better than any of the dozen subway trains I have ridden.

[@urbandweller]

This is pretty cringe. I mean why on the planet Earth would one dig a tunnel to drive regular cars within a convention centre? This is just crazy absurd.

[@runlit120]

it's way better than trains actually. way more energy efficient and cheaper cost

[@nobbynobbs8182]

Just another pointless scam by Elon Muscovitch. Imagine if they invested this money in actual public transport

[@runlit120]

Train bros crying about how this project will end subway construction lmao.

[@AardvarkDK]

@@runlit120 How many cities have signed contracts with TBC? Please remind me.

[@runlit120]

@@AardvarkDK how long did SF Muni spend to build 1.7 miles of subways? I'll tell you: 40 years.

[@AardvarkDK]

@@runlit120 How many cities have signed contracts with TBC?

[@runlit120]

@@AardvarkDK Pure contracts? Sure: LA public works committee signed one. Fort Lauderdale signed a Boring Company agreement. Clark County signed one. City of Las Vegas signed another. Chicago signed one. Boring Company has 60+ miles of tunnels in Vegas alone to build over the next 5 years at zero cost to tax payers. Not bad for an 8 year old company. How much money is SF Muni sucking away from tax payers for 1.7 miles?

[@bertloreto9507]

an underground corny theme park …. for the worlds biggest narcissist with a dictator fetish. This one is so dumb!

[@runlit120]

better than subways actually.

[@RayBugBDC]

No pun taken

[@arsenkay]

lol it was kind of clever on their end ngl I can see Elon doing something like that. You could also pay for $5 fares with Dogecoin lol

[@hotbeefymcd8162]

Why do you need a car to go 500 meters?

[@AardvarkDK]

How else would you cover such a massive distance? ;)

[@archimetropolis]

@AardvarkDK Maybe a train? Bus? Trolley? Bike? WALK? It ain't even massive.

[@AardvarkDK]

@@archimetropolis I can't imagine that any American has ever covered such an incredible distance on foot. 🤪

[@runlit120]

@@AardvarkDK try 68 miles for the full system they're building ;)

[@AardvarkDK]

@@runlit120 lol

[@neverweardirtyshoes]

Amazing

[@vote4republicans2024]

So you need a professional driver or computer to drive through the tunnel. I'm just not feeling it. It's one of the worse of Elon's ideas. A tram is what you need there. In terms of Las Vegas moving sidewalks between the casinos and holes would be nice. Scooter rentals would go a long way too for the old folks. Hell even golf cart lanes would be a better idea for Las Vegas.

[@osculant]

That’s saying a lot considering how many bad ideas Musk has.

[@runlit120]

A tram was proposed. The tram was $160 million more expensive than this $50m project and not to mention it would cost more to operate/maintain the tram. Golf carts would be too slow for the eventual 60 mile system. This system hit its capacity targets no problem.

[@osculant]

@@runlit120 where are the actual maintenance figures?

[@runlit120]

@@osculant It's not hard to conclude based on what we know. No rails, no special tram parking lots (use existing parking lots for Teslas). Teslas can be maintained by existing car shops that are already in vegas (so no need to hire full time staff).

[@osculant]

@@runlit120 why would a rail make it more expensive to maintain? There’s plenty of qualified people to work on them plus they have the added benefit of not being a heavy metal fueled death trap with an unnecessary added human element. There is no possible way teslas in a tiny tunnel are safer than overhead electric or third rail, or other forms of people movers. It’s just a really crappy tunnel.