How far is Nashville International Airport to downtown? How long would Elon Musk's Boring Company tunnel be? Her traveling companion, Martin Cooper, was right there with her. "Less traffic accidents. Safer. Less congestion. I like what he (Musk) is doing." "I'd do it. Why not?" said John Turner from Wisconsin. "It would help with the traffic." David Case of South Carolina said Musk's experience is a key factor. "I think it's a good idea," Case said. "He (Musk) has had good success at building tunnels." Musk's The Boring Company built a small shuttle system to transport people beneath the Las Vegas Convention Center. That stretch opened in 2021 and is part of a 68-mile project that will loop around Las Vegas. The Boring Company also built a test tunnel in Southern California (2018), but that project has seen public pushback and has been delayed. Musk has another long-delayed project in Chicago. Tennessee state Sen. Heidi Campbell (D-Nashville) serves on the Transportation and Safety Committee. She replied to a Facebook request for comment on Musk's proposal. "While I understand the appeal of a high-speed connection between the airport and downtown — and I support investments that genuinely improve transit access for working people — we need to ask deeper questions about who benefits, who pays, and what we sacrifice along the way," Campbell wrote. "Elon Musk has spent years cultivating a tech messiah image while openly mocking public services and gutting social responsibility. "The same man who wants to tunnel under Nashville has relentlessly attacked the very programs our city depends on — public education, health care, veteran services, arts, and disability support. He’s done this while amassing unimaginable wealth and using public subsidies to enrich his ventures. "So yes, we could build a high-speed tunnel. But at what cost, and to whom? It feels like accepting blood money to catalyze our own demise. If Nashville really wants to lead, we should be investing in public transit that serves everyone. Not building vanity projects for billionaires that sidestep regulation and extract value from our communities without putting anything meaningful back. We don’t need another billionaire trying to reinvent the bus. We need policies (and partners) that believe in public goods, not just private gain." Anything, said most people The Tennessean interviewed on a muggy July Saturday, would be better than the traffic stifling commutes and tourism currently in Nashville. Lee Lindsey, of Nashville, loved the idea. She responded to a direct message on Facebook. "I think that would be fantastic for the city of Nashville," Lindsey said. "No matter who funded it. I also think would be fantastic as if they made some kind of public transportation from downtown to Franklin. That would even be better. Metropolitan Nashville is so backwards in its infrastructure therefore any and all help is required and appreciated." Some people mentioned Musk has already pulled off the underground gambit in Las Vegas. "It's been done by him," said George Cimadevilla, visiting from Atlanta. "That always helps." But Cimadevilla, who complained that Nashville's rush hour (like Atlanta's) lasts all day long, had some questions. And that's where the runaway train of an idea hit a few speed bumps. "Who's paying for it? Elon?" Cimadevilla said. "Why would he spend his money when he could raise it?" Darold Rise sat in the shade of Printers Alley and didn't like the idea at all. He lives in a loft in the Alley hated the possibility of an underground hub coming to the downtown area. "How much private property do we need to tear up to do that?" Rise asked. "Is it all for progress, or is he (Musk) making another billion dollars and ruining another Tennessee city." Rise heard other people being interviewed and saying they loved the idea. "How is that a great idea?" Rise said. A woman walked past Rise and said, "Conceptually, it sounds great, but operationally it sounds problematic." She identified herself as A. Reynolds from Pennsylvania. "If it alleviates traffic, that's the pro. The timeline would be disruptive. There would be initial costs, then maintenance costs." Darren Futch, of Nashville, said he agrees with the idea, but doesn't see how it could work. “I’m for any solution which would decrease traffic as it’s a major issue with an ever growing expanding city," Futch said. "My question is how do you navigate through the bedrock of limestone that is underground? Is this even a logical option? What are the cost ramifications? Futch said he's wary about Musk and The Boring Company (they would be creating the tunnel) coming to town. "As far as commenting on Elon the man, well I personally think the guy is a genius, albeit a little nutty," Futch said. "I’d prefer to stay as far away from anything political as I don’t care to be sucked into that noise." Reached on Facebook messenger, Eddie Reasoner of Nashville (formerly in the band "Three Dog Night"), got very creative in his answer. His problem with burrowing under the city is the environmental impact. "Why not build a monorail system like they have at Orlando so travelers can view our beautiful skyline and surrounding hills," Reasoner said. "Nashville would benefit from the added attraction, no underground drilling or disturbance to the environment, monorail system could be built in far less time and visitors would have a lasting memory of our community. "Electricity to run the monorail could be provided by NES and with both Percy Priest Dam and Old Hickory Dam Nearby for a power source it’s a win win − better for the environment, faster and Tomorrowland of the central south. Orlando already has a proven model. "What better way to showcase the beauty of Nashville and our beloved Cumberland River?" Whatever happens, now is the time, said Michael Cefaratti of Nashville. "I’m sure the construction will be a nightmare, but so are the commutes all over Nashville," Cefaratti said. "Something has to be done." This story has been updated to add video.