October 2024
Toronto’s desire to increase density is being met by higher buildings. With this comes more problems for people dealing with elevator congestion.
The elevator situation is a common problem without a clear solution. Buildings include the fewest possible number of elevators so saleable units and common areas can be maximized. Today, more people are living in some units than planned for when elevator requirements were considered.
The general rule of thumb is one elevator per 10 floors. There is no requirement in the Ontario Building Code for a minimum number of elevators. This should be based on floor size, type of building, number of occupants, speed of elevators and wait time. Technology has helped to alleviate some congestion issues. Newer elevators can move at higher speeds and utilize smart dispatch systems.
There may be separate elevators servicing parking areas. Amenity spaces situated half way up in a building improves accessibility. Some elevators will only service a dedicated set of floors which helps to better manage demand and use.
Stairs are not practical for travelling vertically in a building. Waits of 10 minutes or more for an elevator is not uncommon in some buildings during certain times of the day or when another elevator is not in service. There can be line ups to access elevators. If a building is under elevated, elevators are going to be used more often, parts are going to wear out faster leading to chronic down time, and delays will increase.
“Elevators in under elevated buildings have a higher level of use which causes them to break down more frequently” explains Phil State of Quality Allied Elevator. Adding elevators to an existing building is not feasible. Communities taking better care of their elevators by increasing the frequency of servicing is a good solution for keeping available elevators in operation.
In a city expanding vertically, the number of elevators required in a building must be regulated by the Ontario Building Code so that buildings are not built under elevated.
