Curved escalator

Curved escalator at the Wynn
Originally uploaded by jonknee

There is a big problem at Union Station with "articulation" between MARC and VRE trains and people transfering to the subway, because of the number of people moving from the train platform to the subway, and the capacity of the escalators.

(One way to deal would be to add one stairway, which I mentioned years ago. WMATA planners promoted the selective addition of stairways to this and other stations to improve throughput but it was shot down by the Board of Directors.)

By putting in a curved escalator at the First Street entrance (the first floor of Union Station, going down) it could be possible to drop lots of the passenger railroad riders to the other set of gates opposite the elevators, which are hardly used. This would allow for better egress of passengers up the escalators.

Not being an engineer, I am not sure this would work, and it is important to not block the elevators. It could require the re-siting of the kiosk for the station manager in a fashion that would focus on throughput.

Again, if these escalators are ever rebuilt, and/or the fare gates rebuilt, additional wide gates should be added, and wider escalators could be installed, to ease mobility for people with scads of luggage (although train riders are likely to have less luggage than airplane passengers).

Right now there is a scrum getting up and down the escalators if you are going against railroad passenger traffic. A refiguring of the escalators (plus stairs), the fare gates, and the location of the manager's kiosk could significantly fix things. DK if this was considered as part of the Union Station Intermodal Transit Center Feasibility Study. The Final Report is available but I haven't had a chance to read it.