Garage Escalators and Pavilion Enhancements
With several thousand people using the parking garage daily, it is USRC’s goal to make the experience as safe and pleasant as possible. In 2012, USRC was the sub-recipient of a Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) grant awarded to the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) to help fund the replacement of all 10 of the garage escalators from the station mezzanine to Parking Level 4. The last escalator replacement was completed in 2015 and the new, energy-efficient escalators are now fully operational.
Restoration and enhancement of the glass pavilion housing the elevators and escalators was also completed. During the Summer and Fall of 2015, the glass pavilion structure was repaired and repainted, new back-lighted way-finding signage was provided on all parking levels, an epoxy floor coating applied, and new bird control elements were installed on the structural beams. Some of the glass in the central bay of the pavilion roof was replaced with structural glass to support the live load of the glass-cleaning workers. All the glass in the pavilion was cleaned on both external and internal surfaces. Finally, the existing downlighting within the pavilion was replaced with attractive and efficient LED fixtures. All these improvements have revitalized the appearance of the glass pavilion and increased both daytime and nighttime lighting at all four of the pavilion levels.