An escalator is revived at International District/Chinatown Station

Sound Transit reached a milestone this week, by finally restarting a busy International District/Chinatown escalator that was ruined by a deluge of rainwater in 2021.

In fact, as of noon Friday technicians restored 56 of the 58 elevators and escalators within Seattle’s four downtown transit tunnel stations, the best performance in many years.

“I am more proud of my team than I can ever express,” said CEO Julie Timm. “Our contractors were being more creative in finding parts to get these machines running. They’ve been working at nights, and on weekends, and to see where we’re finally at a point where we’re seeing this level of service every day? I’m speechless.”

Fewer than half operated when Sound Transit took over maintenance of the now 33-year-old escalators and elevators from King County Metro Transit, boosted spending and hired a new contractor.

Those squeaks Friday from International District/Chinatown Station’s southwest Escalator 904 — the nearest escalator to King Street Station and Lumen Field — emanated from its new steel steps and rubber belts working their kinks out, instead of grinding old gears.

The progress comes in time for peak tourist season and Major League Baseball All-Star Week, July 7-11, which will spread its events from the Mariners’ T-Mobile Park across downtown.

Escalator 904 had the worst damage and was the very last downtown machine scheduled for early 2023 repairs, Timm said. Supply chain delays made her worry about losing another month, until contractor Schindler Corp. found critical parts elsewhere. But she insists Sound Transit’s everyday passengers, not the baseball fest, are driving her schedules to improve the beleaguered tunnel.

“I appreciate this, all the escalators and elevators working,” said Taylor Noble, visiting from San Diego with a friend. Noble got to haul her luggage up several of them, while seeking out the secluded ticket-vending machine on the International District/Chinatown Station plaza, then guessing wrong which platform takes her toward Capitol Hill Station.

Extra fare ambassadors, who spend more time guiding people than enforcing payment, were also inside the station, because of a partial ORCA farecard-system outage. “They are so helpful and super kind,” Noble said. “There is so much automation these days. To have someone help assist is super unique, and delightful.”

Passengers will notice new garbage bins, a new train decal replacing a burnt decal at the southwestern Westlake Station entrance, more security and cordial station agents to help newcomers at Northgate and Westlake stations. Station cleaning, still managed by Metro, has increased. Electronic signs are being reprogrammed to show accurate train-arrival times.

Some spots remain trashy, with broken windows or benches. And to replace all the elevators and escalators, along with obsolete electrical, fire safety and architectural materials, will take years and well over $200 million.

Timm said talks are underway to bring buskers into the stations, playing live music, hopefully by early July.