Meh. He probably could have had a pedestrian bridge approved and installed by now for the same cost as the exploratory hole.

Or even built over a weekend, then deal with the consequences and approval process after. You can get a way with a lot when it comes to personal safety.

They've been trying to get a pedestrian bridge built for ages. They keep having trouble getting permission for it. The tunnel is basically Elon saying, "screw you, I'll find a way around your stupid NIMBY nonsense."

Couldn't have built it over the weekend. You'd have to block traffic on the street to do it. It's a busy street. Also, building a bridge reduces the height of things you can transport down the street. This sounds like a minor issue, but it's a major constraint for SpaceX as they start moving larger and larger rocket vehicles, even for short trips at night through LA to a sea port or the airport.

> leaving work [...] 2:15 a.m.

There's the problem.

How is there traffic at 2.15am to hit people though?

In CA, alcohol service stops at 2:00AM; people leaving bars immediately after can make the 2AM hour a very dangerous time.

You've obviously never lived in a big city.