LA Metro has some of the slowest escalators on Earth
2 days ago
- LA Metro escalators operate at 90 feet per minute, significantly slower than Hong Kong's typical 148 feet per minute (64% faster).
- The American safety code caps escalator speed at 100 feet per minute, while California enforces that limit; many other countries allow 0.75 m/s (~148 ft/min) or more.
- Speeding up LA Metro escalators to Hong Kong's speed could save an estimated 670,000 hours per year for riders, based on a rough model of underground stations.
- Even reaching the U.S. maximum of 100 ft/min would save about 30,000 minutes per weekday in the model.
- Faster speeds increase vibration and safety risks; Singapore uses different speeds during peak and off-peak hours.
- Original LA subway design required escalators capable of 120 ft/min, but that requirement was later dropped; the American code lowered its maximum from 125 to 100 ft/min in 2000.