Vertical Conveyance

Portfolio Update
Rider Experience and Operations Committee
11/4/21
 Why Are We Here
• To Provide an Overview of Estimated Growth of our Portfolio
of Elevators and Escalators
• Impact of Assuming Management of the Downtown Tunnel
Assets, Remediation Efforts and Challenges
• Briefly Discuss Recent Program Enhancements and
Continuous Improvement

2
 Conveyance Team Vision Statement

Create a PASSENGER focused vertical conveyance

program centered on SAFETY and RELIABILITY by
leveraging maintenance, technology & data to
optimize performance and keep all stakeholders
better informed.

3
 Current Asset Portfolio
101
Elevators • Roughly 50/50 split elevators &
193 escalators

Total • Includes all Northgate Link

Extensions
Assets • Includes Downtown Tunnel
92
Assets
Escalators

4
 Projected Portfolio Growth 575
600
486
500
368
400 312

300 193
128
200

71
100

0
2015 2020 2021 2025 2030 2035 2041

Escalator Elevator

• Current fleet will grow by 60% through 2025

• Estimated to be a fleet of 575 by 2041

Spans from Everett to Lakewood – 70 Miles

5
 Northgate Opening:
New Expansions = New Assets
• The opening of U District,
Roosevelt and Northgate
added 28 assets to our portfolio

• Implemented lessons learned

from U-Link

• Units installed with the latest

technology and energy
efficiency options

6
 Downtown Tunnel Elevator/Escalator Impact
• Management transfer from KCM completed on January 1, 2021

• Most assets were installed between 1987 - 1989

• Assumed 58 total pieces of equipment of which 28 units were

inoperable upon transfer

7
 Strategy and Approach to the Downtown
Tunnel
3 pronged approach
Maintenance Program

Get Equipment
Integrate Operable Strategically
Safe, Operable and
Assets into existing Prioritize
Available for
Maintenance Replacement
Passengers
Contract
SOGR & Life Extension VC Replacement
Investments Program

8
 Short Term Downtown Tunnel Mitigation
Downtown Tunnel Assets • 2021 Downtown tunnel repair
budget of $3.6M ($8.7M 2020
Board Motion)

• Replacing critical components

such as chains, bull gears,
door equipment, handrails and
New VC Assets
upgrading safety equipment

9
 Downtown Tunnel Performance
Westlake, University Street, Pioneer Square, International
District Stations
• Increased elevator availability from 81.8% to 98% overall

• Increased escalator availability from 30.1% to 75% overall

• Inoperable units on January 1st 2021 – 28 of 58

• Current inoperable units – 8

10
Complexity Service Interruption

& • Elevator/Escalator
PASSENGER IMPACT
Constraints • Transit
Elevator/Escalator
Replacement
Elevator/Escalator
Replacement

LIMITED QUALIFIED
VENDORS & STATION DESIGN
ASSOCIATED LOCAL INGRESS & EGRESS
LABOR

11
 Replacement Program Risks
• Sustained Reliability for EOL+ assets

• Competing Capital Projects (Expansion & NSEP)

• Long Lead Time for Manufacturing

• First Major Facilities Asset Replacement for Sound Transit

12
 Agency Focus on Elevators/Escalators
• Elevators and escalators
are now considered a
“mode” within Sound Transit
• Enhanced our maintenance
contract in 2019
• Increased our team size
from 1 to 4

13
 Estimated Annual Cost Projections
$80,000,000 700

$70,000,000
600

$60,000,000
500

Total Elevators & Escalators

$50,000,000
400
Costs

$40,000,000

300
$30,000,000

200
$20,000,000

100
$10,000,000

$0 0
2020 2025 2030 2035 2040 2045

O&M costs VC Replacement costs Elevators & Escalators

14
 Data Gathering, Analysis and Reporting
• All Equipment Outages are
Vetted Every Business Day

• Each Outage is Documented for

Time, Category and Resolution

• Overall Monthly Availability

Reports are Available at
https://www.soundtransit.org

15
 Continuous Improvement
• Enhance Data Reporting
• Better understand component service life
expectancy
• Decrease number of unplanned outages
• Increase communication with all stakeholders
• Continue piloting new technology solutions

16
Thank you.

soundtransit.org