Work out elevator wait time instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.
Round trip time is travel up and down plus door time at the expected number of stops; the arrival interval divides that by the number of lifts and the average wait is half the interval. Door and boarding time dominates in low rise buildings, which is why adding a lift helps far more than making an existing one faster.
Round trip
seconds = 2 x floors x travel time per floor + expected stops x door time
Average wait
wait = round trip / lifts / 2
seconds = 2 x floors x travel time per floor + expected stops x door time. Round trip time is travel up and down plus door time at the expected number of stops; the arrival interval divides that by the number of lifts and the average wait is half the interval.
Door and boarding time dominates in low rise buildings, which is why adding a lift helps far more than making an existing one faster.
Enter floors served, number of lifts, travel time per floor, door and boarding time per stop. The defaults shown are a realistic worked example — swap in your own figures to get a result you can use.