Chicago Express Loop

Chicago Express Loop

Company type	Private
Industry	Urban rail transit
Founded	2017
Founder	Elon Musk / The Boring Company
Fate	Discontinued
Headquarters	Chicago , United States
Products	Rapid transit network

The Chicago Express Loop was a concept for a privately financed urban rail transit rapid transit network designed to link the Chicago Loop with O'Hare International Airport through an underground route passing via Block 37. This initiative was to be developed by Elon Musk's the Boring Company, which intended to fund the construction in return for future revenue streams from transit fees, advertising, branding opportunities, and sales within the vehicles. The official designation of the project was Chicago Express Loop.

Despite initial excitement, progress on the plan eventually ceased. The initiative was discontinued after Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel opted not to pursue re-election in 2019.

History

The Boring Company became involved with the project in May 2017 and formally submitted its proposal in November of the same year. Elon Musk's concept for electric pod transportation traces back to tweets made in 2017. The city's request for proposal stipulated travel times under 20 minutes from the Loop to O'Hare, with service departures at intervals no longer than 15 minutes and fares priced below those of taxis and rideshare services. On June 13, 2018, The Boring Company was awarded the contract.

Before this, Musk had suggested a tunnel connecting Los Angeles and Culver City as a demonstration of the technology. At the time of bidding, the company had received approval for a tunnel project between Washington and Baltimore that ultimately did not come to fruition.

Proposed system

The design involved autonomous vehicles capable of carrying 16 passengers each, constructed on Tesla chassis, with departures as often as every 30 seconds. These pods would navigate tunnels at speeds reaching up to 150 miles per hour along a concrete guideway, completing the approximately 18-mile route in about 12 minutes—making it three to four times quicker than existing services such as the Chicago Transit Authority Blue Line. Referred to as skates and modeled on the Tesla Model X, these vehicles would operate on a track featuring eight guiding wheels—four standard and four lateral wheels. The anticipated fare was approximately $25.

Criticism

Transportation specialists and media commentators widely regarded the Loop's projected $1 billion budget as significantly underestimated, suggesting the actual expenses could be at least ten times higher due to the project's magnitude. Additionally, Chicago city council members voiced apprehensions regarding the management of the initiative and the financial exposure involved, expressing worries that taxpayer money might be required to cover unforeseen cost increases.