Seattle Transit Officials Replacing Inadequate Escalators

“Do it right the first time” is likely the old saying going through the minds of authorities at Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority (Sound Transit) in Seattle, as they must spend more than US$20 million to replace an escalator system unable to handle the traffic at the University of Washington light rail station, KIRO 7 reported. Sound Transit originally purchased non-heavy- duty escalators, neglecting to realize the units operate 20 hr. a day. These units frequently break down, including on March 16, when the down escalators stopped working for 3 hr., and hundreds of passengers waited to use the elevators. For safety reasons, stalled escalators cannot be used as stairs, according to Sound Transit. In addition to replacing all the escalators between 2019 and 2022, the authority is converting stairs formerly used for emergencies only by adding lighting and security cameras.