[makecheck]

Actually, they should have done the opposite: get everyone to start walking up and stop treating escalators as rides. (Especially horizontal moving walkways.) Imagine the capacity then!

They're not rides. We have way, way, way, too many out-of-shape people in the world. There should be every encouragement to take at least a few opportunities to exercise.

Yes, some escalators can be long, such as the ones mentioned in this article. Still not a big deal, I've done it. (And they only "feel" long when you stand the whole way.) If you really want a ride, use an elevator.

[strttn]

People would need more space on the escalator to walk so this would reduce the overall escalator capacity. There would also be some people who couldn't or wouldn't walk, which would always break the double lane walking and revert the system to how it is currently.

Agreed that they do present an opportunity to get a little exercise though, which would be missed in the "everyone stand" world.