Elon Musk revealed on the X platform that "getting permits is impossible," explaining the fate of The Boring Company's most ambitious proposal on the East Coast. This comment was a response to his announcement on July 20, 2017, when he stated that he had "received verbal government approval" to build an underground Hyperloop connecting New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C., capable of transporting passengers from the Big Apple to the Capitol in 29 minutes.
The Boring Company received verbal "approval" to construct the Hyperloop tunnel from New York to Washington, D.C. A 2017 post envisioned downtown stations and multiple elevators in each city, immediately drawing attention. Local and state officials in New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. stated they were unaware of any approvals. A White House spokesperson only confirmed "hopeful conversations" regarding this transformative infrastructure. Musk later clarified that formal approval would require "a lot of work."
@cybrtrkguy Getting permits is impossible
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) · October 19, 2026
Subsequent progress was limited, with Maryland Governor Larry Hogan's administration issuing a conditional utility permit and supporting work near Fort Meade. In 2018, Washington, D.C. granted preliminary permits for site preparation and excavation at a vacant lot located at 53 New York Ave. NE in the NoMa neighborhood, which The Boring Company indicated could serve as a station. A draft environmental assessment for the Washington, D.C. to Baltimore segment was released in 2019.
However, by April 2021, the company had removed the project from its website, and the Federal Highway Administration reported no further signs of interest. Communication with Maryland officials had ceased. Construction across the entire corridor required coordination among the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, the Federal Highway Administration, the Army Corps of Engineers, the National Park Service, and other agencies. The environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act, utility clearances, and approvals for new infrastructure further complicated the project and made securing approval more difficult.
The Boring Company's Hyperloop Plans Face Permit Challenges
Speculation about the permitting obstacles revolves around several factors, but the multi-state and multi-jurisdictional route, utilizing unproven high-speed vacuum tube technology, inherently triggers lengthy safety, environmental, and engineering reviews, even for traditional projects. Additionally, there are other factors, such as the political risks officials may face if a privately funded, untested system encounters cost overruns, delays, or safety issues. In the project's early stages, the lack of engineering plans or proof of technological maturity also contributed to potential skepticism.
The Boring Company's East Coast vision, once portrayed as a privately funded revolution capable of transforming travel in the Northeast, ultimately faded quietly before the promised network was ever constructed. Musk's recent statements framed the outcome as a regulatory deadlock, which, while unfortunate, was not unexpected.