I agree. Great idea. It actually exists, but rarely in the states. I noticed it in Japan.

A weight sensor could tell whether somebody was on it and keep it running until all passengers are off.

We actually also have this kind of escalators in China. Very good idea.

I've seen some moving walkways with this feature. There is a light beam that gets broken to start the walkway moving.

These escalators are all over scandinavia.

This technology is also applied in Germany. Great idea!

You realize that in the USA at least, everyone would conclude the escalator was broken unless they came close enough to activate it. It should be obvious what a showstopper that is - few businesses would be keen on turning a foolproof transportation system into a frequently confusing one.

An escalator is never broken. When they quit moving they are called "stairs".

It would take a bit of education to teach people an apparently immobile escalator is still in service.

Hey, people push buttons to call elevators (lifts). They are capable of pusing buttons on escalators.

No buttons here in Helsinki. They just start when you get on.

Strange, in Belgium we also have those escalators for a long time, not everywhere though.

brilliant! and of course, as per usual, Europe already seems to have implemented this idea. a study on the amount of energy used by the typical escalator daily when not in use by people times the number of escalators in America and the resulting energy waste would be a great research project for a student and might even net a government or academic grant of some kind!

This is also found in Europe. I think the reason the US doesn't do it is because of the costs associated with the breaking-down of the elevator. The constant off-and-on of the automatic elevator would lead to more mechanical problems. It's probable cheaper to run the elevator constantly than to bring a mechanic in to fix it.

It is a no brainer, and is used worldwide but not in the US. Why? I don't know. The culture in the US is if it does not cause a legal suite then keep it cheap. So adding this feature is seen as an extra coast. Or, maybe seen as being cheap by not letting it run all the time. Or, they are afraid of a law suite of someone falling due to the momentum created when starting and stopping the escalator. Or, if something should break one would need more qualified mechanics, which cost more. End of the day, energy prices are too cheap, and people should (need) to take the stair more often.