Earlier this year, Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced that four groups were in the running to build a long-planned express train connecting the Loop to O'Hare International Airport. Today, Mayor Emanuel announced via Twitter that the city has chosen the Boring Company, which is owned by billionaire Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk, to “build and operate express service to transport people to O'Hare Airport from downtown in 12 minutes on electric vehicles in underground tunnels.” According to the tweet, the Boring Company will assume all costs associated with the project, and taxpayer funds won't be used.
Chicago Tribune reports that the project will make use of the abandoned CTA superstation beneath Block 37 and will include the construction of a new station at O'Hare. One of the Boring Company's biggest challenges will be the construction of several subterranean tunnels that will run between the Loop and O'Hare and will eventually be used to convey passengers between the two destinations. Riders board 16-passenger “electric skates,” which are modified versions of the Tesla Model X car and are able to travel autonomously at speeds between 125 and 150 miles per hour. The skates could leave each station as frequently as every 30 seconds, meaning that nearly 2,000 passengers could travel in either direction each hour.
Early estimates for the cost of the project clock in at around $1 billion—all privately funded—but Musk's deep pockets and desire to prove his concepts should mean that money won't be much of an issue. Instead, the most concerning aspect of the project is the untested technology it utilizes; the Boring Company is still in the process digging its first test tunnel in Hawthorne, California, and while based on existing Tesla tech, the “electric skate” cars are still largely conceptual. According to the New York Times, city officials hope to build the tunnels and begin providing service in less than three years, however, the Tribune posits that such as timeframe would require Musk to build tunnels “at least 14 times faster than previous efforts.”
There's also the simple question of demand for an express service, especially when the CTA Blue Line already runs from the Loop to O'Hare and typically gets you to the airport in less than an hour for $2.50. Musk's new service will likely cost significantly more than a CTA ride—the Boring Company's website states that fares will be “less than half the typical price of taxi/ride-share services,” which usually range from $30–$50. For travelers willing to plan ahead and give themselves some extra time, the CTA is still the best route to O'Hare, and it's typically faster than braving the Kennedy, according to a 2015 analysis conducted by FiveThirtyEight. If he's able to complete the project, Musk will have to hope that his express route proves to be as popular as his flamethrowers.
Illustration: Courtesy the Boring Company