{"items": [{"author": "Peter", "source_link": "https://plus.google.com/103618186481362054522", "anchor": "gp-1357759698225", "service": "gp", "text": "If the escalator is long enough to bother, how about having a moving sidewalk at either end at half speed so there's less delta?", "timestamp": 1357759698}, {"author": "Jeff Kaufman", "source_link": "https://plus.google.com/103013777355236494008", "anchor": "gp-1357761356687", "service": "gp", "text": "@Peter\n\u00a0has anyone solved the problem of escalator-to-escalator transfer-at-speed? \u00a0I think that's required for your suggestion.", "timestamp": 1357761356}, {"author": "Chris", "source_link": "https://plus.google.com/117346402173047680184", "anchor": "gp-1357761477981", "service": "gp", "text": "Apparently escalator steps are required to be at least 16\" deep and at most 9\" rise.\u00a0 Using those numbers, the diagonal distance is about .47 meters.\u00a0 So the max speed is about 1 step per second which feels like the normal speed.\u00a0 It's really too bad we can't make them faster.\n
\n
\nI wonder what sort of things could be done to reduce things getting caught in railings and such.\u00a0 I wonder if you could make the walls move at the same speed as the railings and such.\u00a0 Keep everything that is still well away from the user.", "timestamp": 1357761477}, {"author": "Nicolas", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/211170539008048?comment_id=211177905673978", "anchor": "fb-211177905673978", "service": "fb", "text": "Hmm, I should time myself. I know I can make an Alewife train that announces \"arriving\" when I'm at the top of the main escalator bank by running.", "timestamp": "1357761541"}, {"author": "Jordy", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/211170539008048?comment_id=211179459007156", "anchor": "fb-211179459007156", "service": "fb", "text": "I actually feel this question holds a little more relevance to moving sidewalks in airports. Theoretically, if you had increasing and decreasing speed walkways (i.e. still ground ,1,2,3,4,3,2,1, still ground), you could probably get them going pretty fast. I'd say 45-50mph no prob.", "timestamp": "1357761836"}, {"author": "Hollis", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/211170539008048?comment_id=211181295673639", "anchor": "fb-211181295673639", "service": "fb", "text": "@Jordy: I think you'd need higher barriers on the sides of the moving sidewalks, though, to make it impossible to jump/fall/throw someone over them.", "timestamp": "1357762460"}, {"author": "Jordy", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/211170539008048?comment_id=211181772340258", "anchor": "fb-211181772340258", "service": "fb", "text": "There'd just be no way to stupid proof it, so it will never exist. Actually... it does exist... they have railways in many airports.", "timestamp": "1357762520"}, {"author": "Peter", "source_link": "https://plus.google.com/103618186481362054522", "anchor": "gp-1357762663284", "service": "gp", "text": "I've seen moving-sidewalk to moving-sidewalk transfer at speed.", "timestamp": 1357762663}, {"author": "Kayla", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/211170539008048?comment_id=211182755673493", "anchor": "fb-211182755673493", "service": "fb", "text": "Stairs.", "timestamp": "1357762763"}, {"author": "Kayla", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/211170539008048?comment_id=211183162340119", "anchor": "fb-211183162340119", "service": "fb", "text": "Actually, escalators would be much more efficient if people knew how to use them properly. You don't just stand there like a lazy-arse, you walk like you would a normal staircase, the added movement just makes you get there quicker. Same deal with moving sidewalks.... irks me when people just stand there while the people walking normally on the non-moving walkway zoom past them..", "timestamp": "1357762927"}, {"author": "Rachel", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/211170539008048?comment_id=211183215673447", "anchor": "fb-211183215673447", "service": "fb", "text": "I would be curious to hear from people with visual impairments about their perspective on safe speeds and/or ways besides a sign to communicate which escalator is which.", "timestamp": "1357762949"}, {"author": "Missie", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/211170539008048?comment_id=211184455673323", "anchor": "fb-211184455673323", "service": "fb", "text": "Kayla, I can't walk down the long escalators at many of the Metro stations. I have bad ankles and am terrified of losing my balance, since you can be more badly injured on an escalator than on on a regular staircase. Up is easier, but we have some of the longest escalators in the world here in DC.", "timestamp": "1357763295"}, {"author": "Kayla", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/211170539008048?comment_id=211184935673275", "anchor": "fb-211184935673275", "service": "fb", "text": "There's a difference if there's a mobility issue, this is not true of probably 90% of the people on such devices.", "timestamp": "1357763345"}, {"author": "Missie", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/211170539008048?comment_id=211185085673260", "anchor": "fb-211185085673260", "service": "fb", "text": "It's a combination of mobility and fear. The thought of walking down makes me panicky.", "timestamp": "1357763392"}, {"author": "Rachel", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/211170539008048?comment_id=211185852339850", "anchor": "fb-211185852339850", "service": "fb", "text": "I don't think everyone's goal is to hurry, and I think that's okay. I do like the stand to the right, walk on the left norm.", "timestamp": "1357763494"}, {"author": "Kayla", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/211170539008048?comment_id=211186352339800", "anchor": "fb-211186352339800", "service": "fb", "text": "Right, but there's a reason for that fear: balance/mobility. Guarantee those healthy young peoples' standing there yapping on their cell phones don't have such fear.", "timestamp": "1357763544"}, {"author": "Jeff Kaufman", "source_link": "https://plus.google.com/103013777355236494008", "anchor": "gp-1357764671276", "service": "gp", "text": "@Peter\n\u00a0Where? \u00a0The only system I know of for doing this is the one they used to have in Paris where people would stand on metal rollers and let the handrail\u00a0accelerate\u00a0them to full speed before they got on the main walkway. \u00a0But people kept falling over and they had to abandon it:\u00a0\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trottoir_roulant_rapide", "timestamp": 1357764671}, {"author": "Jeff Kaufman", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/211170539008048?comment_id=211190872339348", "anchor": "fb-211190872339348", "service": "fb", "text": "@Daniel: where?", "timestamp": "1357764801"}, {"author": "Jan-Willem", "source_link": "https://plus.google.com/100580955183019057735", "anchor": "gp-1357766371274", "service": "gp", "text": "I've been on two speeds of moving walkway, with the slower leading into the faster (and back to slower at the other end) in an airport somewhere. \u00a0But no idea where offhand. \u00a0Don't remember how the handrail worked.\n
\n
\nI think some stops on the Tube in London have barriers around entries and (I think) exits of escalators, presumably to keep the area clear during crowding. \u00a0I think SFO's rental car area has a similar thing for getting onto the people-mover after you drop off your car.", "timestamp": 1357766371}, {"author": "Brice", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/211170539008048?comment_id=211214765670292", "anchor": "fb-211214765670292", "service": "fb", "text": "failure of a prototype in France. the powers that be were focused on risks and accountability. http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=fr&tl=en...", "timestamp": "1357771261"}, {"author": "Jeff Kaufman", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/211170539008048?comment_id=211215239003578", "anchor": "fb-211215239003578", "service": "fb", "text": "The Toronto one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIjO41aIjbk It expands and contracts.", "timestamp": "1357771442"}, {"author": "Jeff Kaufman", "source_link": "https://plus.google.com/103013777355236494008", "anchor": "gp-1357771498796", "service": "gp", "text": "@David German\n\u00a0Your expanding/contracting proposal exists: \u00a0\nhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIjO41aIjbk\n
\n
\nApparently people don't die.", "timestamp": 1357771498}, {"author": "Allison", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/211170539008048?comment_id=211220039003098", "anchor": "fb-211220039003098", "service": "fb", "text": "I rode that French one while it was still installed! (In fact I organized a brief outing with my friends just to go there and try it out.) It was pretty cool, but I guess the problem, from that article, is that it broke down all the time.", "timestamp": "1357771921"}, {"author": "Allison", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/211170539008048?comment_id=211222935669475", "anchor": "fb-211222935669475", "service": "fb", "text": "I guess I should add that we were living in Paris at the time. I did not organize a trip from the USA to France just to ride this trottoir.", "timestamp": "1357772260"}, {"author": "Allison", "source_link": "https://plus.google.com/109502185221418876252", "anchor": "gp-1357775683212", "service": "gp", "text": "I think I've been on that Toronto one. Also, I remember thinking the escalators in the Budapest metro system went (uniformly) noticeably faster than US escalators, but I will admit that I didn't measure in any way.", "timestamp": 1357775683}, {"author": "Chris", "source_link": "https://plus.google.com/117346402173047680184", "anchor": "gp-1357776317848", "service": "gp", "text": "I remember the ones in Russia going much faster.", "timestamp": 1357776317}, {"author": "Katherine", "source_link": "https://plus.google.com/111274538329832838041", "anchor": "gp-1357777515172", "service": "gp", "text": "As I remember the Budapest metro system also has trains that open the doors before they come to a full stop in the station. The safety/speediness trade-off that they make is different than the one used in the US.", "timestamp": 1357777515}, {"author": "Allison", "source_link": "https://plus.google.com/109502185221418876252", "anchor": "gp-1357784864979", "service": "gp", "text": "@Katherine\n, I don't remember the doors opening while the train was moving, but I do remember that they would close on your umbrella (or your arm) and stay closed. (I saw this happen to an umbrella and am inferring about the arm.) So definitely a different safety/speed trade-off!", "timestamp": 1357784864}, {"author": "David German", "source_link": "https://plus.google.com/111229345142780712481", "anchor": "gp-1357795213567", "service": "gp", "text": "In this more comprehensive (and goofy) video, it looks like the Toronto walkway expands by a factor of 3 or 4. \u00a0Now I want to go to YYZ just to see it.\n
\n
\nhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9yUrur6N8Q", "timestamp": 1357795213}, {"author": "Danner", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/211170539008048?comment_id=211446418980460", "anchor": "fb-211446418980460", "service": "fb", "text": "Jordy, this is the method of transportation used in the book series \"the foundation\". They have oscillating speed moving walkways in some places to sync different speed constant walkways, or a set of walkways that transition slow enough that you can move between them.the author explains how kids play tag and other games on the walkways, and are very at home with the transport system.", "timestamp": "1357820431"}]}