NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – The Metro Nashville Council approved a resolution Tuesday night to oppose the creation of the Music City Loop — but that hasn’t put the brakes on the Tesla tunnel.
The Music City Loop will connect downtown Nashville with the Nashville International Airport using tunnels beneath state-owned roadways. It will be available exclusively for Tesla taxis.
The council voted 20-15 to pass a resolution opposing the tunnel being built by The Boring Company (TBC), which is owned by the world’s richest man, tech mogul Elon Musk. Two abstained from voting.
The project is privately funded and will cost taxpayers nothing, according to TBC and the Tennessee governor’s office.
“Nashville residents have repeatedly expressed frustration that they were never meaningfully consulted about a major infrastructure proposal involving public land that potentially affects environmental, geological, and public safety conditions and shapes long-term transportation planning in the region,” the resolution says.
It also takes shots at The Boring Company, saying the council condemns “the company’s lack of transparency, inadequate community and Metropolitan Council engagement, and troubling labor and safety practices.”
The resolution said that when the council asked TBC to “present comprehensive information regarding the Music City Loop’s scope, timeline, safety measures, environmental concerns, and potential fiscal impact‚” Musk’s company declined, saying its ‘intent was to partner with the state’ and that they had ‘no pending legislative ask at the Metro Council.’”
Demonstrators turned out Tuesday night to support the resolution, holding signs that read “No Boring Co in Nashville” and “Transparency Now, No Back-Room Deals.”
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TBC President Steve Davis has said the tunnel “will be a safe, fast, and fun public transportation system, and we are excited to build it in Nashville.”
One of the members to vote against the bill was Councilperson John Rutherford of District 31. He said Tuesday night that city leaders needed to “set the politics of it aside.”
“It would be easy to vote for this. But sometimes to do what is best for Nashville, we have to do what is hard,” Rutherford said.
He said the project will move forward either way, and supporting the resolution could just hamper or “close the door altogether” to dialogue with The Boring Company.
The council’s opposition will have no tangible effect.
The resolution was symbolic and cannot stop or delay the project in any way. It can only urgently request that the company provide clear answers to demands and questions from Nashvillians.
In fact, the state’s top leader just touted the latest step forward for the Music City Loop.
Last week, Gov. Bill Lee announced that the Tennessee Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration jointly approved a lease and permit for the Tesla tunnel.
The same day, TBC announced that tunneling officially began in Nashville.
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As tunneling begins for Music City Loop, Nashville council votes to oppose project – WSMV
