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A report by The Basin found that LA Metro specifies escalators to run at 90 feet per minute, 10% below the U.S. maximum of 100 feet per minute. Its model estimates that raising speeds to Hong Kong’s typical rate could save riders about 670,000 hours a year across 27 underground stations, but the estimate depends on broad assumptions and does not establish the cost or feasibility of changes.
LA Metro specifies its escalators to run at 90 feet per minute, below the U.S. code maximum of 100 feet per minute, according to a report by The Basin. The report compares escalator speed rules and operating speeds across cities and estimates that faster escalators could reduce riders’ waiting time, while stressing that its systemwide savings figures are modeled rather than measured.
The Basin reviewed the legal speed limits in 139 cities across 58 countries, then separately collected typical operating speeds where it could find source material. The report says Metro’s specified speed—about 0.46 meters per second—is below the legal maximum in every city in its rules comparison. That finding concerns limits, not a direct measurement of escalators in all 139 cities.
For a roughly 65-foot climb from platform to street at Civic Center/Grand Park, the report calculates about 87 seconds at Metro’s specified speed. It estimates that the same ascent would take about 53 seconds at the typical Hong Kong MTR speed of 0.75 meters per second, or roughly 148 feet per minute. Those figures assume a rider stands on the escalator for the full trip.
For a broader estimate, The Basin used FY2026 average weekday ridership figures it says came from a public-records response. Its model covers 27 underground stations and assumes riders take escalators both entering and leaving, stand still, and face a climb comparable in height to Civic Center. Under those assumptions, matching Hong Kong’s typical speed would save about 119,000 minutes per weekday, or approximately 670,000 hours a year. The report estimates that reaching the U.S. maximum instead would save about 30,000 minutes each weekday.
The Time Cost of Slow Rides
The speed difference can add up across repeated trips, even though the time saved on one escalator ride is measured in seconds. The Basin’s model estimates that a commuter traveling between two underground stations each workday could save about 9.5 hours a year if escalators ran at Hong Kong’s usual speed. That estimate relies on the report’s assumptions and does not describe an individual rider’s measured experience.
Metro’s specified 90 feet per minute is 10% below the U.S. limit cited in the report. The Basin also notes that Los Angeles International Airport specifies 100 feet per minute for its escalators, suggesting different local specifications for transit and airport equipment. The report does not establish why Metro chose the lower speed or whether the difference reflects equipment, policy, safety, maintenance, or other considerations.
Higher speed has tradeoffs. The report cites measurements by Singapore transit engineers that found nearly twice as much step vibration at 0.75 meters per second as at 0.5. Singapore’s escalators use the faster setting during rush hour and a slower setting off-peak, according to The Basin. That example shows that speed can be adjusted in some settings, but does not establish that LA Metro’s equipment could use the same approach.
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How Escalator Rules Differ
The Basin’s comparison distinguishes between what codes allow and how fast escalators typically operate. It says the European standard permits speeds up to 0.75 meters per second for escalators with inclines of up to 30 degrees. The American standard sets a maximum of 100 feet per minute, or about 0.508 meters per second. California applies that 100-foot limit to new installations and speed alterations, according to the report.
Metro’s 90-foot specification is below that maximum. The report’s city data show typical speeds vary: it lists many systems around 0.5 meters per second, 16 at 0.65, and seven—including Hong Kong, London, and Singapore—at 0.75. Those are operating-speed figures compiled from operator documents, a national registry, engineering papers, and press quotations, with sources checked by The Basin. They are not measurements gathered through a uniform survey.
The report also describes the limits of its time model. It excludes elevated stations, assumes a uniform station depth based on Civic Center, and treats every rider as taking an escalator both ways while standing. Actual riders may walk, use stairs or elevators, make transfers, or travel through stations with different layouts. The Basin says transfers complicate ridership counts at 7th Street/Metro Center, while Union Station’s figure includes riders using street-level platforms.
““That doesn’t mean we measured 139 cities’ escalators. We compared their legal limits, which tell us how fast they’re allowed to go, and then looked separately at operating speeds where we could find them.””
— The Basin
Costs, Equipment and Safety
The report does not provide a reliable cost estimate for changing escalator speeds across Metro’s system. It also does not establish whether the existing equipment at the 27 underground stations could operate at 100 feet per minute, much less at Hong Kong’s typical 148 feet per minute. The Basin says matching Hong Kong would require addressing both code limits and equipment capacity.
The annual time savings are estimates, not observed totals. They depend on assumptions about station depth, rider choices, escalator use, and ridership counts. The report’s supplied source material also does not include a response from LA Metro explaining why its design specification is 90 feet per minute or whether the agency is considering a change. The safety and comfort implications for Metro’s equipment and riders remain unresolved.
Metro’s Specification and Options
The next practical questions are whether Metro has assessed the performance of its existing escalators at higher speeds, what changes would cost, and how any change would affect safety, reliability, and rider comfort. The available report does not identify a planned speed adjustment or an announced Metro review.
The Basin says it plans a further examination of escalator safety, but the supplied material gives no publication date or findings for that work. Until Metro or another source provides equipment assessments and cost information, the modeled savings offer a way to frame the potential time involved, not a forecast of a change riders should expect.
Key Questions
How fast does LA Metro specify its escalators to run?
The Basin report says Metro’s design specifications call for 90 feet per minute, about 0.46 meters per second.
What is the U.S. escalator speed limit cited in the report?
The report says the American standard caps escalators at 100 feet per minute, about 0.508 meters per second. It says California uses that limit for new installations and speed alterations.
How much time could faster escalators save?
In The Basin’s model of 27 underground stations, matching Hong Kong’s typical speed would save about 119,000 minutes per weekday, or 670,000 hours a year. The estimate depends on assumptions about station depth and rider behavior; it is not a measured total.
Why can’t Metro simply increase escalator speeds?
Escalator operators must work within safety-code limits, and the equipment must be able to handle the chosen speed. The report does not establish whether Metro’s existing escalators could run faster or what systemwide changes would cost.
Source: hn
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