Simpsons Did It of the Day: The impoverished, crime-ridden Comuna 13 (San Javier) neighborhood of Medellín, Colombia, recently christened what is most likely the world’s tallest outdoor escalator.
A steep climb that would take the barrio’s 12,000 residents 35 minutes to scale can now be surmounted in less than six thanks to a 384-meter-long (28-story-tall) moving staircase installed by the city.
Mayor Alonso Salazar hopes the $6.7 million escalator will help reduce some of the district’s rampant violence. Officials from Brazil expressed interest in bringing similar convenience to Rio de Janeiro’s infamous favelas.
