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For $1B, Elon Musk’s Tunnel to O’Hare Would Be a Miracle

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Re: For $1B, Elon Musk’s Tunnel to O’Hare Would Be a Miracle

#21

Post by danso »

> The Musk “Loop” would have a capacity of 2,000 passengers per hour in each direction, which is about 60 percent of the Blue Line’s current, mostly-under-capacity average hourly ridership. Debatable too are the merits of this particular project for airport-bound Chicagoans—the Blue Line works pretty darn well...

I'm much more of a New Yorker, but I'll admit that Chicago transit around the Loop is pretty damn good. It may not run 24/7 (IIRC) but going from downtown to either of the airports is a real pleasure compared to NYC.

Re: For $1B, Elon Musk’s Tunnel to O’Hare Would Be a Miracle

#22

Post by dpcx »

beat wrote: post #9

I wonder about vulnerability to terrorism here? How easily could a sufficient bomb disable the entire system for weeks or months? I started thinking this way while standing in line to go through security at JFK. There were about a thousand people milling about, and we hadn't gone through any sort of substantial security yet. And I was thinking that a bomb there could kill more people than taking out an airplane. Yay…

Probably no different than any other tunnel system anywhere in the world.

Re: For $1B, Elon Musk’s Tunnel to O’Hare Would Be a Miracle

#23

Post by koverda »

FLGMwt wrote: post #3

This is terrible. $25 for 12 minutes from one place in the loop to O'Hare CTA is $2.50 for 37 minutes (the $5 is if you start from O'Hare) This is only benefitting people for whom 25 minutes is worth $20/$22.50. $1bn or whatever absurd cost it comes out to be is much better spent on improving transit for the actual public. Or you know, to stop shutting down schools. EDIT: typo

This is short sighted. Do you think technology improvements in building out public transit won't make it out to the mass-market which addresses the needs of the general public?

Re: For $1B, Elon Musk’s Tunnel to O’Hare Would Be a Miracle

#24

Post by l33r »

FLGMwt wrote: post #3

This is terrible. $25 for 12 minutes from one place in the loop to O'Hare CTA is $2.50 for 37 minutes (the $5 is if you start from O'Hare) This is only benefitting people for whom 25 minutes is worth $20/$22.50. $1bn or whatever absurd cost it comes out to be is much better spent on improving transit for the actual public. Or you know, to stop shutting down schools. EDIT: typo

Simply because you're not the clientele, doesn't mean this is a bad idea. The CTA Blue Line is uncomfortable during rush hour traffic while carrying your luggage. This is probably geared towards tourist/Loop workers who would have paid for a $50-80 Uber/Taxi ride anyways.

Re: For $1B, Elon Musk’s Tunnel to O’Hare Would Be a Miracle

#25

Post by Fsp2WFuH »

bonestamp2 wrote: post #13

> In Toronto, where the subway system doesn’t reach the international airport, a brand-new airport express line has fallen seriously short of ridership expectations, even with its one-way fare of $12.35 The reason this is failing is because of awareness. I travel to Toronto for work 4-5 times every year (for the past 12 years). I heard about this extension being approved a couple years ago and I've never seen a sign…

Yes, it will fail for other reasons.

Re: For $1B, Elon Musk’s Tunnel to O’Hare Would Be a Miracle

#26

Post by martinald »

neaden wrote: post #17
bonestamp2 wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> This is only benefitting people for whom 25 minutes is worth $20/$22.50. This is not true for everyone though. Business travelers take cabs between the loop and o'hare. So, $25 is actually faster and cheaper -- so it's a great use of their money! Even if it was more expensive than a cab, most business travelers would happily spend a little more of someone else's (company) money to get there faster.

Cabs get you right to the address you want to go though. This will still have the last mile problem.

Easy to get a quick cab from the station though.

Re: For $1B, Elon Musk’s Tunnel to O’Hare Would Be a Miracle

#27

Post by nelzya »

FLGMwt wrote: post #3

This is terrible. $25 for 12 minutes from one place in the loop to O'Hare CTA is $2.50 for 37 minutes (the $5 is if you start from O'Hare) This is only benefitting people for whom 25 minutes is worth $20/$22.50. $1bn or whatever absurd cost it comes out to be is much better spent on improving transit for the actual public. Or you know, to stop shutting down schools. EDIT: typo

In reality Blue Line (CTA) is much slower, you have to plan for an hour. It's almost impossible to use with big suitcases, it's the only line that's still using the old cars with dividers in the middle of the door. The airport express trains exist in all major European cities where they replace not public transportation but taxi and limousines providing convenient way to travel.

Re: For $1B, Elon Musk’s Tunnel to O’Hare Would Be a Miracle

#28

Post by twistedpair »

FLGMwt wrote: post #3

This is terrible. $25 for 12 minutes from one place in the loop to O'Hare CTA is $2.50 for 37 minutes (the $5 is if you start from O'Hare) This is only benefitting people for whom 25 minutes is worth $20/$22.50. $1bn or whatever absurd cost it comes out to be is much better spent on improving transit for the actual public. Or you know, to stop shutting down schools. EDIT: typo

How much is it worth not to not miss your flight that you spend hundreds of dollars to book?

Re: For $1B, Elon Musk’s Tunnel to O’Hare Would Be a Miracle

#29

Post by ben_w »

bitslayer wrote: post #7

The design is bullshit. People would have their legs crushed as the car descends, and then they would fall into the hole and die.

People are very good at not being crushed by moving things or falling into massive holes. I myself fail to be crushed or fall into a massive hole literally every time I use an elevator. Or go past a building site. Or…

Re: For $1B, Elon Musk’s Tunnel to O’Hare Would Be a Miracle

#30

Post by ceejayoz »

bitslayer wrote: post #7

The design is bullshit. People would have their legs crushed as the car descends, and then they would fall into the hole and die.

This is likely a heavily-stylized idea of the concept that'd evolve significantly when actually built. (The same has happened regularly with SpaceX videos.)

I'd expect the final implementation to look more like http://subwaynut.com/irt/chambersn1/chambersn130.jpg.

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