Tivoli escalator breakdowns Îmaddeningâ 

By Ron Simpson
The Metropolitan

Itâs a common sight in the Tivoli.

An escalator entryway is blocked off with yellow tape and out of commission ÷ again.

Barb Weiske, director of the Tivoli and Campus Auxiliaries, said the escalators, which cost about $25,000 per year to repair, have caused nothing but headaches for her and students at Auraria.

 The 14-year-old escalators are the only ones of their kind in Colorado, and none of the parts are stocked locally, she said.

ãThe escalators are one of my biggest pet peeves,ä Weiske said. ãThey are just maddening.

ãOnce we had one down for four weeks. The day after it got fixed, the one on the other side was down.ä

Weiske said she hopes to remedy the Tivoliâs escalator woes by  replacing them with stairs and an elevator.

Sheâs not sure where sheâll get the money to pay for the project, but is ãdrivenä to find them. The two-phase project would cost about $325,000 and take about four to five months to complete.

ãWhen you consider that the repairs cost $25,000 a year, the new plan would be less expensive in the long run,ä Weiske said.

 Money for repairs on the escalators that are in place comes from the Tivoliâs operating budget. Weiske said the cost of replacing the old escalators with new ones would be too expensive.

Until the aged escalators are removed, students and other Tivoli visitors will likely see more yellow tape draped across them, and Weiske will keep fielding complaints if the escalators break down again.

The last round of breakdowns, which occurred  in mid-August, took six weeks to repair. Weiske said her office received about 19 complaints during that time.

ã(The escalators) are old. We have a terrible time finding parts. Itâs just a big mess.ä