Americas News
Escalators become public transportation in mountain city
Dec 27, 2011, 22:43 GMT
Bogota - Outdoor escalators went into operation Tuesday in a mountainside district of Medellin, Colombia, offering a means of public transportation that will cut commuting time for pedestrians by nearly 30 minutes.
Devised by local authorities in Colombia's second-largest city, the project seeks to improve both mobility and security in one of Medellin's most dangerous neighbourhoods.
'These escalators are a celebration of all of us as a city. This must symbolize the city, its transformation and peace for the (neighbourhood),' Medellin Mayor Alonso Salazar said as he opened the works.
Salazar noted that officials in other mountainous cities, including Rio de Janeiro, have shown interest in building similar escalators.
A roof is still to be installed over Medellin's escalators, which rise 350 metres in elevation and were built at a cost of about 5 million dollars.
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