Boring Company Grows Las Vegas Loop Network While Dealing With Environmental Issues and Mixed Feedback

The Boring Company, an enterprise of Elon Musk, is growing its Las Vegas Loop project in strategic real estate purchases along the way. Since the company's opening in 2021, they have bought at least eight properties, including a $7 million property just off the tunnel route near Harry Reid International Airport, deepening its long-term belief that future stations and operational hubs would be located in each vicinity. While timelines for expansion remain unclear, the purchases are evidence that the Boring Company intends to build connectivity on the infrastructure and real estate front around the Las Vegas Loop project.

The Las Vegas Loop van currently links major destinations, including the Convention Center and resorts nearby. Despite these connections, only eight of the 68 miles of tunnels and 104 stations are operational, a lag in development compared to what was expected. The development project has experienced environmental and regulatory issues, such as navigating stringent state and county statutes, as well as construction-related issues, with nearly 800 reported environmental violations beginning during construction, including drilling practices, waste management, and failure to produce and comply with permits. 

The public view in Las Vegas remains polarized. Some residents and visitors hold out hope the Loop will reduce congestion and signal to the world that Las Vegas is a tech-forward city. Others remain doubtful. They cite environmental violations, high ticket prices compared to bus tickets, and low ridership even at the Loop's full capacity. Since it started operating, the Loop has moved roughly three million passengers, which critics say is far less than any true mass-transit system would see.

Experts have questioned whether the Loop qualifies as public transportation, noting that it operates more like a high-speed underground taxi network than a citywide transit system. “Research does support that there is value in being near transit, but it's always public transit, not a private subway system,” Nicholas Irwin, a UNLV economics professor who specializes in housing, said in an interview. “I would push back on the idea that this is a [mass] transportation network.”

Despite criticism, Musk's broader approach appears consistent with his strategy across other ventures: controlling the full value chain. By buying land and infrastructure outright, The Boring Company is setting itself up for sustained profit and influence even as it faces a myriad of environmental, regulatory, and operational hurdles.