Next Metro officials have questions for the state about the proposed tunnel. The Mayor's Director of Legislative Affairs sent a letter addressed to the Vice Mayor and City Council detailing the questions. By: We have shared the entire letter below: Vice Mayor and Members of Council, Like you, the Mayor's Office and Metro departments have many questions about the announced partnership between the State of Tennessee and The Boring Company. We first heard informal chatter about Boring considering a tunnel on the East Bank last spring, but, like many speculative ideas that cross the mayor's desk, it came and went without follow-up or signs of a serious proposal. Last Monday's press conference was the most detail the administration has received regarding this project. Below is a list of questions Metro has submitted to date. Pre-Evaluation Questions How will emergency vehicle access be maintained during and after tunnel construction? Las Vegas tunnel exits are identified by numbers, not associated with any addressing points at the street level. (In Las Vegas, the Boring Company provided - in the contract - pre-positioned ATVs outfitted by the Fire Department to access tunnels with all necessary rescue equipment.) There are jurisdictional differences regarding which authority is responsible for permitting a project for life safety, including plan review and subsequent inspections. Given that the Nashville Fire Department will be the agency providing emergency response, it makes sense that NFD would have authority over the life safety permitting requirements. Both the State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Nashville Fire Marshal’s Office have adopted their own versions of the fire code, and there may be differences between the two. It is important to review the applicable jurisdiction and code requirements to ensure proper compliance. Will these tunnels be constructed with wireless repeaters or radio frequency extenders allowing 911 calls to be placed clearly from underground or support radio communications from responders to dispatch or other surface-level resources? Where will emergency access points be established? The width of the tunnel in Las Vegas allows 3 inches between the vehicle door and the tunnel wall (built specifically to the size of a standard Tesla Model Y). If an emergency occurs in the vehicle while in the tunnel, how can personnel reach those inside the vehicle? If a vehicle battery ignited while in the tunnel, where does the smoke and hazardous gas vent from the tunnel? The Las Vegas tunnel restricts pedestrians in this incredibly-narrow tunnel solely with signage and a plastic drop bar that can be walked around or under. How can we ensure pedestrians do not access the tunnel, causing a hazard? The Las Vegas tunnel is not built to drain floodwater/rainwater. Rainfall from either end of the tunnel can flow freely down into the tunnel. More than 8 inches of water shuts down operations. How will rainfall/floodwater be mitigated in an area like Nashville, prone to flooding? What is the total cost? Is the planning, design, and construction cost of the project to be completely borne by the Boring Company? How will this impact insurances? Liability, Property, Workers Comp, ISO? Who will own the tunnel long term? AA? State? Boring Co? How will the Tunnel pay for upkeep and emergency services? PILOT? Are they tax exempt? Similar to a utility? Will they be paying for movement of existing utilities? Will they follow permitting as required? Will there be an agreement with the City for emergency services and how to access private or authority property? If someone is hurt, who is liable? Who will permit the whole project? Do we have the right type of permit/inspectors to handle this type of work? Would any land leases/sale at the airport have to go through Council? Are they going to pay franchise fees? To the State? To the Airport? Who will operate the Tunnel? Does their financial proforma show a surplus/profit? If not, who covers the deficit? Will this be presented to GNRC for consideration of inclusion in the TIP in order to add it to the STIP? When will that briefing or presentation occur? What will the environmental review process entail? Assuming they seek a CE, what input will the community be provided during the preliminary design, environmental, design, and construction phases? Who will lead that process? Which entity is responsible for review of constructions plans for the road, utilities, etc? Will emergency access sites have associated buildings? If yes, will the buildings be located within ROW or on private property? Will construction require abandonment and relocation of Metro utilities? (water/sewer/stormwater) What are the impacts to surface areas (roads, public and private parking, transit routes, any closures, detours, etc?) Contingency planning for critical incidents involving this project? Threats to Project/Project Staff