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Montgomery Co. OKs Tesla Tunnel Study for Woodlands

**Montgomery County Advances Conditional Plan for Tesla Tunnel in The Woodlands, Township Raises Concerns**

**THE WOODLANDS, TX –** Montgomery County Commissioners Court has taken a significant step toward exploring an underground Tesla tunnel system for The Woodlands, granting a conditional green light to move forward with a concept proposed by Elon Musk’s The Boring Company. In a 3-2 vote on October 24, 2023, the Commissioners Court authorized County Judge Mark Keough to draft a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the infrastructure venture, pushing the ambitious plan into a more serious investigative phase.

The proposal, championed by Commissioner James Noack (Precinct 3), envisions a subterranean network designed for autonomous Tesla vehicles, capable of transporting 4-5 passengers at speeds up to 50 miles per hour. Initially, the concept outlines a tunnel line stretching from somewhere within The Woodlands proper to an area near the Texas A&M University/Lone Star College campus located off Research Forest Drive.

A major draw for supporters, including County Judge Mark Keough and Commissioner Charlie Riley (Precinct 2), is the project’s proposed funding model. The Boring Company has pitched the project as being privately funded, with no upfront cost to Montgomery County or The Woodlands Township. Revenue would primarily come from user fees for rides. Commissioner Noack emphasized this approach would address growing traffic congestion in the area without tapping into taxpayer dollars.

However, the proposal did not receive unanimous support from the Commissioners Court. Commissioners Matt Gray (Precinct 1) and Robert Walker (Precinct 4) cast dissenting votes, citing a lack of detailed information regarding the project’s scope, feasibility, and potential impacts on local infrastructure and services.

Crucially, The Woodlands Township, the community directly affected by the potential development, has voiced significant reservations. Township Chairman Dr. Ann Snyder, alongside Directors Brad Bailey and Richard Franks, expressed concerns that the county is effectively bypassing the Township’s own ongoing, comprehensive mobility study. The Township has been engaged since 2022 in a multi-modal transportation study with the firm Kimley-Horn, which is evaluating a range of options from bike paths and trolleys to potential bus rapid transit, none of which currently includes an underground tunnel system. Township leadership has consistently called for more specific details, robust feasibility studies, and a clear understanding of how such a private venture would integrate with or potentially conflict with their existing long-term planning efforts.

This recent vote does not authorize construction but rather initiates a deeper dive into the project’s viability. The forthcoming MOU would outline further studies, potential routes, and a request for proposals (RFP) to solidify the specifics of the project, including its financing, operations, and integration with local infrastructure.

The Boring Company, founded by Musk in 2016, aims to alleviate urban congestion through underground transportation systems. Its most prominent operational project is the Las Vegas Loop, a system of tunnels connecting parts of the Las Vegas Convention Center, with plans for expansion to other parts of the city. These systems utilize Tesla vehicles to transport passengers.

This is not the first time Commissioner Noack has brought the tunnel idea to the Commissioners Court; a similar proposal was previously floated in October 2022 but did not gain sufficient traction at that time. As Montgomery County prepares to draft the MOU, the coming months are expected to bring more intense scrutiny and debate over the potential for a subterranean future for The Woodlands.

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