Universal Orlando Resort and Elon Musk Developing Florida Tunnel Transit System

According to Orlando Business Journal, local Orlando business leaders have heard that Musk’s The Boring Co. and Universal are working together to create tunnels like the Las Vegas Convention Center Loop for cars.

Texas-based The Boring Co., founded by Musk in 2017, created the “Vegas Loop,” a series of underground public transit tunnels in Las Vegas, Nevada.

One of OBJ’s sources is Maria Triscari, president and CEO of The International Drive Resort Area Chamber of Commerce. She has heard about a “Vegas Loop”-like project being developed for Orlando and believes it will happen.

“It’s definitely been in the talks because we want to be a cut above the rest, and that’s the type of thing that needs to happen, and that’s the kind of people we have on the I-Drive Corridor, the visionaries. They are just so forward thinking,” said Triscari.

Joshua Wallack, owner of Mango’s Tropical Cafe on I-Drive, has also heard the rumors and supports the potential project.

“It’s out there in the real estate community — Boring is looking at the whole I-Drive district, basically having the Orange County Convention Center to Epic Universe on a [loop] and they have a broker in the market looking for properties right now and actively speaking to property owners,” said Wallack.

Dennis Spiegel, CEO of International Theme Park Services, thinks transportation is the biggest issue in Orlando and said a “loop system” from Universal could be like the Walt Disney World Monorail system.

“When you have these kinds of programs, it enhances the guest stay and it makes them want to stay on property. As we know, for decades Disney has been the master of that, through their hotels, their transportation and their number of [theme parks] keeping their visitors on their property,” said Spiegel.

A real estate expert reportedly affirmed the rumor to OBJ and said other tourist businesses could be involved in the project.

OBJ reached out to Universal and The Boring Co. and has not received a response. An Orange County spokesperson declined to comment.

An Orlando spokesperson said to OBJ via email, “There has not been any formal paperwork filed or conversations about such an endeavor.”

OBJ did not discover any correspondence between the companies and Orange County with a public records request.

Presumably, Central Florida tunnels would not be underground like those in Las Vegas. The area has a high water table that makes underground development almost impossible. OBJ did not clarify this point, however.

Universal’s new theme park, Epic Universe, isn’t far from I-Drive. They worked with the city and county to create road improvements in the area, including constructing a skyward traffic circle.

Would you want a tunnel transit system in Orlando? Let us know in the comments and on social media.