London Underground’s Circle Line could be remade into a 17-mile-long moving sidewalk.
Dezeen reports that architecture firm NBBJ pitched a concept where the train service would be removed and three sets of "travelators," as they are called, would be installed. The walkways would run next to each other and operate at three speeds, from the low speed of 3 to 9 mph to the maximum speed of 15 mph.
NBBJ said that the plan would make transportation faster by eliminating the need to stop at stations.
The 36-station Circle carries 114 million passengers annually and has been in operation since 1863. The line runs in both directions around a loop around central London, with an extension that juts off the circuit.
The Daily Mail writes that the Circle Line has some issues. It can only hold up to eight trains at a time, and trains can only reach a top speed of 20 mph. In ideal conditions, trains complete the loop in an hour, but because of the system’s age and the amount of rider congestion, delays are frequent.
With the travelator, walking at a 3 mph clip at the 15 mph top speed will get a commuter around the loop in just 56 minutes. The walkways could hold up to 55,000 people at once.
Wired reports that all practical considerations, like price, construction, and energy usage, have yet to be determined.
Related Stories
Giants 400 | Nov 6, 2017
Top 15 transit engineering firms
AECOM, STV, and Arup top BD+C’s ranking of the nation’s largest transit sector engineering and EA firms, as reported in the 2017 Giants 300 Report.
Giants 400 | Nov 6, 2017
Top 25 transit architecture firms
Jacobs, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, and Perkins+Will top BD+C’s ranking of the nation’s largest transit sector architecture and AE firms, as reported in the 2017 Giants 300 Report.
Mixed-Use | Sep 25, 2017
Getting there is half the fun: Mass transit helps entertainment districts thrive
In Los Angeles, the entertainment district L.A. Live is expected to benefit from the proposed expansion of the city’s mass transit system.
Transportation & Parking Facilities | Aug 6, 2017
Post Panama Canal expansion, the top three U.S. ports still rule
But land constraints around the terminals are pushing asset prices and rents to new highs.
Transit Facilities | Jun 21, 2017
Foster + Partners unveils design for the Ourense FFCC Station in Galicia, Spain
The project will create key infrastructure for the future development of the city and provide it a new social focus.
Transit Facilities | Mar 31, 2017
Mississauga Bus Rapid Transit stations share common theme but sport custom details
The route will connect with Toronto public transit.
Transit Facilities | Mar 30, 2017
Train station architectural design fundamentals: Accessibility
If safety is the number one priority for train stations, then accessibility comes in at a close second.
Transit Facilities | Feb 7, 2017
Wood and glass dominate Swedish city’s new ‘living room’
The building will be a train station and City Hall for the Swedish city of Växjö.
Transportation & Parking Facilities | Jan 31, 2017
Public transportation of the future: Four new sustainable technologies
In 2014, Americans spent an average of 42 hours per year sitting in traffic jams.
Transit Facilities | Nov 15, 2016
The winning design for the Paris metro station competition looks like a giant, loopy “P”
Bjarke Ingels Group and Silvio d’Ascia Architecture teamed up to create the winning submission.
