A system for braking an escalator or moving walkway includes a handrail and passenger support in registration with one another so as to move together. A braking tensioner selectively increases tension in the handrail during operation. The increased tension serves to frictionally brake the handrail and hence the passenger support. The braking tensioner may be located in any of various locations depending upon system design, and may be driven in any suitable manner, e.g., hydraulically, electrically, electromagnetically, and so on. Frictional wear on the handrail is reduced by the fact that the described braking system spreads the frictional load over a large area of the handrail, e.g., the many locations where the handrail contacts the underlying support throughout its length.