Philadelphia's SEPTA officials are talking safety with riders as part of National Escalator and Elevator Safety Awareness Week. The goal is to make travel safer by reminding customers to take some simple yet effective steps to stay out of harm's way. For example, when using elevators, always use handrails, stand in the middle facing forward and keep loose clothing away from edges. On elevators, don't force doors open or closed - and if you get stuck, push the "help" button and wait for assistance.

Escalators and elevators are available for customer use throughout the transit system, thanks in large part to SEPTA's aggressive effort in recent years to upgrade its aging infrastructure. This has helped create a safer and more accessible environment for riders. Currently, 93 SEPTA stations meet standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and that number will soon grow as improvement projects now under way are completed. Some of these initiatives will also add to the 96 escalators and 85 elevators at SEPTA stations.

SEPTA System Safety personnel are traveling to a number of stations to discuss escalator and elevator safety with customers.