Contrary to reports some Metro escalators are always out or service

June 16, 8:37 AMDC Transportation ExaminerKatherine M. Hill

Previous Next

2 comments Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the DC Transportation Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Other than my primary stops, Takoma and Shady Grove on the Red Line, which are necessary for work and slumber, but little more, I frequent U Street/African- American Civil War Memorial/Cardozo stop on the Green and Yellow Lines. The reasons are beer- and entertainment-based, but my frequent usage more than merits the following frustration: one escalator at the 13th Street exit is always out. (Which makes Get There's periodic escalator advisories so cute.)

This guaranteed outage was OK pre-accident, but it was been a source of discontent post-accident as recently as last month. Escalators that are frequently out between this station and the Takoma and Shady Grove stations are common but have been less frustrating and aren't obstacles anymore, still, the following exchange in early May warrants—finally—a post.

So when, at the early end of a night last month, I found the escalator at the station out, and the other entrance several blocks away, I was agitated. I silently fumed on my awkward bounce down each metal step.

I watched him slowly react. He carefully shuffled to the safety of the plate glass cage, but I caught him before he could step inside.

I wanted answers.

"Why are the escalators almost always out at night?"

"Well, I wouldn't say they're always out."

"Okay. Why is at least one side out of service in the evenings? Is it a glitch? Is it for getting people out [faster]?" The last reason seemed logical. Half the escalators were out at Fort Totten that night, too, and sometimes escalators were out during Rush Hour, which seemed to speed the process of moving commuters from station to station.

Do these reasons seem reasonable to anyone else, or am I making up implausible excuses? Does anyone else seem to find the escalators out with more frequency than necessary?