To: Dr Vincent Bordeau
From: Joshua Valle
Subject: Escalators
Date: 2/4/24
The purpose of this memo is to present my concerns with the delays of the escalators and elevators in the NAC building. When building a large building with multiple floors, we don’t ever realize how a properly functioning elevator or escalator can improve the flow of our building. I would like for you to hear me out and reflect on this issue.
Summary
We need functioning elevators and escalators for a properly functioning building. Tardiness is a big problem for classes on the upper levels of the NAC building and these broken escalators have been a factor in this. Students in wheelchairs, students that have had leg amputations, and students that have any type of disability that makes it difficult to walk all area heavily affected by these broken escalators
Discussion
Every day students have classes in the upper levels of the NAC building ranging from the 4th floor all the way to the 7th floor. The 7th floor being a floor that the escalators don’t reach so without functioning elevators, the very slim and narrow staircases are the only option to get upstairs. I myself have witnessed this first hand as I do see many students become frustrated because they have to walk up floors through a narrow staircase with tens of kids which may not sound like a lot but it is when only 1 person can be going up and 1 person can be going down at a time. So now imagine having to get to a class on the 7th floor from the first floor by walking up the stairs but in front of you are 3 other kids who are taking their time to go up the stairs while you are about to start class. That can be a bother. Many students can be waiting up to 15-20 minutes for the elevator just for it not to come, so then they take the stairs and the button is already pressed, now the people in the elevator are going to be forced to stop at each floor that the button was pressed on which will even further delay an already slow elevator
The NAC building is old and in order to fix the elevator, we would have to reinstall a whole new elevator system and that still wouldn’t be fast enough to stop the delays on the elevators because of the large number of students. A possible solution is to take out the elevators and install a proper functioning escalator with a wide platform so that it could remain accessible to students in wheelchairs. Escalators are constantly moving unlike elevators so there won’t be traffic waiting to use it. If you would like to further discuss this issue in person, you can contact me at [email protected] and we can schedule a meeting.
