Chicago Express Loop
{{short description|Proposed privately funded urban rail transit rapid transit system}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
The Chicago Express Loop was a proposed privately funded urban rail transit rapid transit system that will use underground high-speed rail to connect the Chicago Loop to O'Hare International Airport from Block 37.{{cite web |author=Ruthhart, Bill and John Byrne |date=June 14, 2018 |title=Chicago taps Elon Musk’s Boring Company to build high-speed transit tunnels that would tie Loop with O'Hare |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-met-ohare-high-speed-transit-elon-musk-boring-company-20180613-story.html |accessdate=June 14, 2018 |work=Chicago Tribune}} The line was to be constructed by Elon Musk's the Boring Company. It was claimed the Boring Company would pay the costs for the construction of the system in exchange for the rights to the future transit fees as well as advertisement, branding and in-vehicle sales revenues. Chicago Express Loop was the official name of the plan.{{cite web |author=Mullen, Jethro |date=June 14, 2018 |title=Elon Musk's Boring Company to build high-speed Chicago airport link |url=https://money.cnn.com/2018/06/14/technology/elon-musk-boring-company-chicago/index.html |accessdate=June 14, 2018 |publisher=CNN}}
The plans "never moved forward after initial excitement."{{Cite news |date=October 14, 2020 |title=Elon Musk’s plan for express transit to O’Hare went nowhere, but Boring Co. says concept could happen in Vegas |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-elon-musk-hyperloop-las-vegas-20201014-asq4yai5qvdkhlhxfzyahq6sm4-story.html |access-date=2023-03-16 |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |agency=Associated Press}} The project died after Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel, whose term ended in May 2019, decided not to pursue another term as mayor.{{Cite news |first1=Ted |last1=Mann |first2=Julie |last2=Bykowicz |date=November 28, 2022 |title=Elon Musk’s Boring Company Ghosts Cities Across America |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/elon-musk-boring-company-tunnel-traffic-11669658396 |access-date=2023-03-16 |newspaper=Wall Street Journal |language=en-US}}
History
In May 2017, The Boring Company first became linked to the plan and made an official bid for the project in November 2017. The vision for electric pod transport goes back to 2017 tweets by Musk.{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-06-14/elon-musk-s-boring-co-wins-chicago-airport-high-speed-train-bid|title=Elon Musk’s Boring Co. Wins Chicago Airport High-Speed Train Bid|accessdate=June 14, 2018|date=June 13, 2018|work=Bloomberg|author=McBride, Sarah}} The city's original request for proposal sought bids to bring the travel time from the loop to O'Hare below 20 minutes with departure frequencies of less than 15 minutes and fees that were lower than taxi and ridesharing company fares. The Boring Company was announced as the winning bid on June 13, 2018.
Musk had previously applied to build a {{convert|2.7|mi|km|adj=on}} tunnel linking Los Angeles to Culver City as a "proof of process" for the technology. At the time of their bid, the Boring Company had received approval to link Washington, D.C., and Baltimore using this technology; that project was also never completed.{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2018/06/14/chicago-elon-musk-ohare-high-speed-transit-project/700724002/|title=Chicago mayor wants Elon Musk to build high-speed transit linking O'Hare and downtown|accessdate=June 14, 2018|date=June 14, 2018|work=USA Today|author=Madhani, Aamer}}{{Cite web |last=Duncan |first=Ian |date=2021-08-23 |title=Elon Musk's Boring Company removes D.C.-Baltimore tunnel from list of projects on website |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/elon-musk-hyperloop/2021/04/16/b340314e-9edd-11eb-9d05-ae06f4529ece_story.html |website=Washington Post}}
Proposed system
The proposed system was to use 16-passenger self-driving vehicles built on Tesla chassis, departing often as every 30 seconds.{{cite web |author=Beals, Rachel Koning |date=June 14, 2018 |title=Elon Musk’s Boring Co. gets Chicago’s nod for 12-minute pod ride from Loop to O’Hare |url=https://www.marketwatch.com/story/musks-boring-co-gets-chicagos-nod-for-12-minute-pod-ride-from-loop-to-ohare-2018-06-14 |accessdate=June 14, 2018 |publisher=Marketwatch}} The proposed vehicles would move through tunnels at speeds as high as 150 miles per hour on a concrete track and complete the journey in 12 minutes, which was 3 to 4 times faster than existing alternatives such as the Chicago Transit Authority Blue Line. The proposed vehicles were referred to as skates and are based on the Tesla Model X. The vehicles would cover an {{convert|18|mi|km|adj=on}} track with eight guiding wheels, including four traditional grounded wheels and four additional side wheels. The fares were expected to be approximately $25.
Criticism
The Loop's projected cost of $1 billion was derided by transportation scholars and journalists as being too low by at least a factor of 10 for its scale.{{cite news |last=Hawkins |first=Andrew J. |date=June 14, 2018 |title=The Boring Company’s Chicago project seems awfully cheap for something so big |url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/6/14/17464612/boring-company-chicago-elon-musk-cost-estimate |work=The Verge |accessdate=June 18, 2018}} The city's aldermen also raised concerns about project oversight and risk, fearing that public funds could be used to cover cost overruns.{{cite news |last=Schaper |first=David |date=June 18, 2018 |title=Chicago's Hyperloop Announcement Met With Questions |url=https://www.wbez.org/shows/all-things-considered/chicagos-hyperloop-announcement-met-with-questions/37c983be-9b8b-4137-9f88-ec2055c534ae |publisher=WBEZ |accessdate=June 18, 2018}}
Notes
{{reflist|33em}}
{{High-speed railway lines}}
{{USLightRail}}
{{Portal bar|Trains}}
Category:High-speed railway lines in the United States
Category:Passenger rail transport
Category:Proposed railway lines in Illinois
Category:Rail transportation in Illinois