Elon Musk's Boring Co. Chicago Tunnel Project Is Dead

From the Chicago Tribune:

Elon Musk O'Hare express project is likely dead: Here's where Lightfoot and Preckwinkle stand on transportation issues

Whoever ends up winning the mayoral runoff election on April 2, Elon Musk’s plan to build an underground express transit link from downtown to O’Hare Airport is probably dead.

Former federal prosecutor Lori Lightfoot and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle will face each other in the runoff — but neither has embraced the technology billionaire’s proposal.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel has been enthusiastic about Musk’s $1 billion plan to dig a hole from the Loop to O’Hare and run passenger vehicles that go more than 100 mph. The Chicago Infrastructure Trust, the organization charged with negotiating the contract on behalf of the city, has not announced a contract with Musk, who had promised to pay all costs. An Emanuel spokeswoman said Wednesday there were no updates.

Lightfoot has called the idea that the project could be built without public funds “a fiction,” and did not include it in her extensive transportation plan for the city.

Preckwinkle also expressed reservations, saying at a candidate forum it was “definitely something I would put on pause.” She said if the city was going to make investments in transit, they should be in the CTA and Metra....MORE