flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

New London Underground plan from NBBJ consists of moving walkway

Transit Facilities

New London Underground plan from NBBJ consists of moving walkway

For once, walking can be faster than taking a train.


By Mike Chamernik, Associate Editor | September 10, 2015
New London Underground plan from NBBJ consists of moving walkway

Renderings courtesy NBBJ (via Dezeen)

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.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category

Adaptive Reuse

Detroit’s Michigan Central Station, centerpiece of innovation hub, opens

The recently opened Michigan Central Station in Detroit is the centerpiece of a 30-acre technology and cultural hub that will include development of urban transportation solutions. The six-year adaptive reuse project of the 640,000 sf historic station, created by the same architect as New York’s Grand Central Station, is the latest sign of a reinvigorating Detroit.



Transit Facilities

Top 25 Transit Facility Construction Firms for 2023

The Walsh Group, Clark Group, Hensel Phelps, Skanska USA, and Hill International top BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest transit facility general contractors and construction management (CM) firms for 2023, as reported in the 2023 Giants 400 Report. Note: This ranking includes construction revenue for work related to bus terminals, rail terminals, and transit stations.


Transit Facilities

Top 40 Transit Facility Engineering Firms for 2023

AECOM, Jacobs, EXP, WSP, and Arup head BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest transit facility engineering and engineering/architecture (EA) firms for 2023, as reported in the 2023 Giants 400 Report. Note: This ranking includes design revenue for work related to bus terminals, rail terminals, and transit stations.

halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021