BART opens first of rebuilt escalators

Bay Area's Rapid Transit's (BART) escalator rebuilding project is advancing, with one of the five escalators from the platform to the concourse at Powell Street Station in San Francisco now in service.

The Powell Street Station platform escalator opened for service Monday while the street level escalator opened Aug. 31. The next one, which is due to open in October, is a street level escalator at Civic Center Station.

Many of the escalators to be replaced are among the oldest in BART's system. The project calls for replacing 22 escalators at either the street or concourse levels and 18 escalators that connect concourses with platforms.

The new escalators will incorporate the latest technology, such as safety enhancements that comply with the latest code requirements; new LED skirt lighting; lighter, yet more robust and sustainable materials; and an automatic lubrication system that applies lubrication only when and where needed.