Elon Musk’s Boring Company is focusing on providing public transport to pedestrians, as Hyperloop pods are becoming a reality faster than expected. Several firms are racing to develop and finance the required technology for Hyperloop pods, in addition to the design of magnetic levitation in order to test pod designs on smaller scale tracks.
The Hyperloop pods are meant to transport pedestrians from great distances such as New York to Washington D.C through tubes where they can travel at hundreds of miles per hour. Plus, there are already several startup companies as well as Musk’s very own Boring Company, that are digging and building tunnels in order to get the Hyperloop pods to fit by the time everything is ready and set to go.
Musk’s first approach towards Hyperloop tunnels was made promoting car travel in tunnels that would enable traveling up to 150 mph for long distance journeys. However he was subject to criticism and from there on he decided to focus underground travel on pedestrians and cyclists, which is the current focus point. According to him, “it is a matter of courtesy and fairness” inspired by the fact that some people are not able to afford cars.
Better video coming soon, but it would look a bit like this: pic.twitter.com/C0iJPi8b4U
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 9, 2018
Musk’s vision on Hyperloop and public transport
According to a new promotional video of the Hyperloop, the highlight point is the depiction of an up to 16 passenger pod that descends from street level to the underground from small stations established across the streets of the U.S. Musk’s main target is to tackle transit congestion and the modern ways of traveling across long distances.
Will still transport cars, but only after all personalized mass transit needs are met. It’s a matter of courtesy & fairness. If someone can’t afford a car, they should go first.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 9, 2018
The Boring Company’s CEO informed via his Twitter account on March 9th his goals with Hyperloop tunnels:
Boring Co urban loop system would have 1000’s of small stations the size of a single parking space that take you very close to your destination & blend seamlessly into the fabric of a city, rather than a small number of big stations like a subway
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 9, 2018
According to the video, the Hyperloop stations will serve as a small and practical gateway to an underground traffic alternative which will follow an organized structure in order to achieve a lighter traffic and to prioritize pedestrians in the streets of America. Musk has taken lots of criticism from transit advocates since his alternative forms of public transportation come from his conception of public transportation being a “pain in the ass”.
Source: Twitter
