It was modifying the Request for Proposals (for a contract) issued to the Boring Company, so they changed the request for a proposal from Boring Company. A contract would come after they submitted a proposal and SBCTA accepted the proposal. They did accept a Statement of Qualifications from them.
That doesn’t mean we didn’t spend anything on it. This article notes a prototype had been built and demolished. Given Musk’s proclivity to use public money, I’m guessing tax money paid for that at least.
No taxpayer money went into this. I follow transportation funding in California very closely. There was Nevada taxpayer funding to the Boring Company, though.
I keep track of the state TIRCP funding, which is the only mechanism where the state can spend hundreds of millions on transit proposals. Recently, $0 was awarded for SBCTA’s Tesla Tunnel proposal, but you can look through prior awards here:
Comments
https://www.constructiondive.com/news/boring-company-misses-proposal-deadline-elon-musk-san-bernardino-project/627799/
https://www.gosbcta.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/2021-07-07-Board-of-Directors-Full-Agenda-1724.pdf
https://calsta.ca.gov/subject-areas/transit-intercity-rail-capital-prog