A Los Angeles city councilmember even wants to throw in a CEQA exemption for good measure.
The city of Los Angeles is letting Elon Musk proceed with a controversial proposal to drill a "proof of concept" tunnel for 2.7 miles across the Westside of Los Angeles and ending in Culver City.
"Last month the Los Angeles Board of Building and Safety Commissioners signed off on a proof of concept tunnel for The Boring Company, a venture which Musk founded in 2016," report Steven Sharp. "Though the company hopes to eventually operate a sprawling system which connects to Santa Monica, Sherman Oaks, Downtown Los Angeles, Inglewood, Long Beach, and the Beach Cities, the proposed initial segment will run just 2.7 miles down Sepulveda Boulevard."
While that action alone might seem awfully permissive for the city, there's another level to the easy route to construction being offered to the Boring Company. "City Councilmember Paul Koretz has introduced a motion which calls for the full Council to determine that the proof of concept tunnel is exempt from CEQA, and instructs the Bureau of Engineering to work towards issuing permits for the project," adds Sharp.
That move has prompted renewed attention to the project from Streetsblog LA editor Joe Linton, who notes some of the additional risks to future subway projects the Boring Company could introduce. UCLA Urban Planning Lecturer Juan Matute is cited in the article raising concerns that the tunnel concept is not worthy of CEQA exemption.
FULL STORY: Elon Musk Takes a Step Forward with Proof-of-Concept Tunnel in L.A.
Musk's Boring Co. Drops Westside L.A. Tunnel Plans
A lawsuit by a pair of Westside L.A. neighborhood groups has killed the Boring Company's plans to drill a tunnel below Sepulveda Boulevard.
Elon Musk Cleared to Tunnel in Southern California
Elon Musk will get a first chance to prove predictions that the Boring Company can improve tunneling technology after the city of Hawthorne in Los Angeles County approved his plan to build a two-mile tunnel.
Detailing the Boring Company’s Poor Track Record
Elon Musk’s promised solution for congestion—the Boring Co.—has proven most successful at disappearing on the governments that trusted them.
The Right to Mobility
As we consider how to decarbonize transportation, preserving mobility, especially for lower- and middle-income people, must be a priority.
How Virginia Counties Use Zoning to Stifle Development
Some state legislators are proposing action at the state level as counties block development using zoning and development requirements even as housing prices rise sharply in the region.
The Once-in-a-Generation Opportunity to Remake Downtown
Urban cores around the country were transforming into live, work, and play destinations before the pandemic. The pandemic was a setback for this transformation, but it could also be a rare opportunity. It’s up to city leadership to seize it.
L.A. Times Editorial Board Calls for CEQA Reform
The Board argues that the environmental law, while important, has too often been ‘weaponized’ by NIMBY groups to delay or halt housing development.
Seattle Brings Free Transit to Public Housing
Linking transit programs to housing can lower administrative costs and streamline the process for riders.
Columbus Could Lower Downtown Speed Limits
The city council will vote on a proposal to lower speed limits to 25 miles per hour to improve safety and make downtown more walkable and welcoming to pedestrians.
York County Government
York County, Human Resources
Virginia Passenger Rail Authority
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Sonoma County Transportation Authority
City of Piedmont, CA
City of Morganton
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
