Planned Toronto Supertalls Spur Concerns About Elevator Wait Times

Buildings taller than 300 m, also known as supertalls, are set to multiply in Toronto, and some observers are concerned they will be under-elevatored, since neither the province of Ontario nor the city of Toronto specify a minimum number of elevators for such towers, CBC reports. The latest proposal for a 317-m, 99-story supertall on Bloor Street West includes eight elevators, or approximately one elevator for every 161 residential units. Observing that the “global standard” elevator wait time is 45-50 s, KJA Chief Operating Officer Rob Isabelle said having a single elevator for every 160 units in a 1,280-unit tower could mean people having to wait up to 4 min for an elevator. The problem would likely intensify at the end of the month when residents are moving in and out, he added. University of Toronto Transportation Research Institute Director Eric Miller said governments should be “looking at the issue of vertical transportation more closely, developing guidelines for acceptable elevator wait times in residential buildings and determining how many elevators are needed to meet demand in buildings of different sizes.”