Tesla CEO Elon Musk built a demonstration tunnel with his boring machine in California at $10 million per mile. At that rate, the cost to build each of Oahu’s rail’s 20-mile tunnels would be $200 million. How much more for transit stations and infrastructure?

Musk projects building Chicago’s 18-mile underground transit system at only $1 billion. Instead of paying $8 billion to $10 billion for rail, why isn’t the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation exploring Musk’s boring technology? Tunneling would eliminate visual blight, disturbing iwi, eminent domain costs and congestion.

Michael A. Lilly

Pacific Heights

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