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A London Subway Experiment: Please Don’t Walk Up the Escalator

nytimes.com

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Re: A London Subway Experiment: Please Don’t Walk Up the Escalator

#31

Post by cm2187 »

djsumdog wrote: post #4

I really feel like more effort should be put into tube automation. In Singapore, all the lines are automated. Each platform has those safety double-elevator type doors the trains line up with (The Jubilee line is automated in London and has this same setup at most platforms). This allows Singapore to run a lot more trains. I don't think I ever waited for more than five minutes. Automation is possible in London. The D…

The platform doors should be installed for security reasons anyway. It is a small miracle that every morning, while the narrow platform are completely packed with people, and that the train goes at full speed a few inches from people's face, we do not have more accidents.

Re: A London Subway Experiment: Please Don’t Walk Up the Escalator

#32

Post by 13of40 »

Sacho wrote: post #19
13of40 wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It took a while for me to figure this out, but there's actually an unmentioned rule in the US that you walk to the right when you're passing people, at least when it's congested enough that you have to choose. I see a lot of people from overseas struggling with this where I work, at least early on.

Isn't that just a parallel of driving rules?

Yeah, I was responding to the "we walk on whichever side we feel like" part, which is not the case in the US.

Re: A London Subway Experiment: Please Don’t Walk Up the Escalator

#33

Post by cr1895 »

martinald wrote: post #22
djsumdog wrote: post #4

I really feel like more effort should be put into tube automation. In Singapore, all the lines are automated. Each platform has those safety double-elevator type doors the trains line up with (The Jubilee line is automated in London and has this same setup at most platforms). This allows Singapore to run a lot more trains. I don't think I ever waited for more than five minutes. Automation is possible in London. The D…

Victoria line is at 34tph at peak. I think the jubilee line is running at 30tph right now and will be going up to 34tph when they have more trains. All lines will go to CBTC soon. Not having a driver doesn't add any capacity. Indeed it can lower it quickly in the event of something going wrong (may take a while to get staff to the train to fix it)

tph? Thousands/trains/teas per hour?

Re: A London Subway Experiment: Please Don’t Walk Up the Escalator

#34

Post by albinoloverats »

grabcocque wrote: post #18

You know, I've lived in London all my life and I've never encountered this "London Subway".

You occasionally see signs around for them (though not so much in town, more often a little further out); where the path takes pedestrians under the road ;-)

Re: A London Subway Experiment: Please Don’t Walk Up the Escalator

#35

Post by CJefferson »

cr1895 wrote: post #33
martinald wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Victoria line is at 34tph at peak. I think the jubilee line is running at 30tph right now and will be going up to 34tph when they have more trains. All lines will go to CBTC soon. Not having a driver doesn't add any capacity. Indeed it can lower it quickly in the event of something going wrong (may take a while to get staff to the train to fix it)

tph? Thousands/trains/teas per hour?

Trains per hour

Re: A London Subway Experiment: Please Don’t Walk Up the Escalator

#37

Post by DanBC »

usrusr wrote: post #14
cm2187 wrote: post #2

As the article points out, letting people walk up should probably be faster. What causes the block is people misbehaving. Blocking the left line because they want to go on the right line. Stopping for directions at the end of the escalator. Blocking the left line with bags or packages. But the solution should be better education, not slowing everyone down. It's like letting people out of a car before getting in. In m…

This has been discussed here before: standing people pack tighter than walking people, therefore all standing ends up with more throughput, at the expense of lower individual latency (for the would-be walkers). But you only need that optimization when escalators are at full utilization. In many cities, escalator discipline is low enough that the walk/stand lane pattern deteriorates when the escalator approaches maxim…

London has sufficient loud walkers prepared to yell "Excuse ME!" when blocked.

Re: A London Subway Experiment: Please Don’t Walk Up the Escalator

#38

Post by fredley »

chippy wrote: post #29
fredley wrote: post #20

I commute to this station every day, at rush hour. There is an 'avatar' (a projection of a person) repeatedly asking people to stand on both sides. Recently she has started becoming more sarcastic, I think they are A/B testing her instructions as there are quite often people counting at the top of the flight. It is very, very difficult standing on the left, it goes against every fibre of my being to do so, but I've m…

It's easier to stand on the left if there's someone in front of you blocking your path. In other words I will will stand on the left if there is other people there too. I will walk up the left until I'm blocked though. (Usually, to tell the truth I am travelling in non peak times with a wheely bag so have to stand anyhow)

Totally agree. Standing on the left with space in front is difficult.

Re: A London Subway Experiment: Please Don’t Walk Up the Escalator

#39

Post by fredley »

13of40 wrote: post #27
fredley wrote: post #20

I commute to this station every day, at rush hour. There is an 'avatar' (a projection of a person) repeatedly asking people to stand on both sides. Recently she has started becoming more sarcastic, I think they are A/B testing her instructions as there are quite often people counting at the top of the flight. It is very, very difficult standing on the left, it goes against every fibre of my being to do so, but I've m…

I, for one, am going to ask you to step aside if I need to get up the escalator, and damn the glass avatar. Your instincts are correct.

There are 3 escalators going up, and the left-most 'lane' (left-hand side of the leftmost escalator) is kept as a walking lane.

Re: A London Subway Experiment: Please Don’t Walk Up the Escalator

#40

Post by kingosticks »

kingosticks wrote: post #36

Maybe I'm just hypersensitive to this right now, but I really didn't get the point of the Brussels snipe in the last paragraph. Can't we just enjoy exercises in optimising escalator throughput without mentioning Brexit?

And more on topic: I would be interested to see how this system, and the normal system, compares to somewhere like covent garden which only has lifts and gets seriously backed up. So much so that the official recommendations are to avoid the station at peak times and walk from other nearby stations. They'll have to do something about this at some point but there's no easy fix here.
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