Unsuck DC Metro: Escalator Dyslexia

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Escalator Dyslexia

Metro seems enamored of expensive technological solutions when so many of its woes could be fixed by free common sense.

From Lainy:

Can someone tell me - who is the brains behind the escalator operation at stations?

At Huntington, there are three very long escalators on the side going to N. Kings Highway, plus an elevator.

Earlier this month, the middle escalator had been out of service, and that's OK because there are still two.

But wait!

The two small (one lane) escalators on either side are controlled by morons.

Why? During evening rush hour, is one moving down for very few people coming into the station, and the other not moving at all forcing every commuter to trudge up that long set of steps?

The other day, the elevator was even out of service.

One woman had to keep stopping on the way up so she didn't go into cardiac arrest (which in turn ground the 100 people behind her to a stop).

Another man got into a verbal confrontation with a police officer because he was told the only way to get up to the exit was to walk until you faint, or to get back on the Metro, go to Eisenhower station, and take a shuttle from there, which would add another 45 minutes onto your already-completed commute.

Ridiculous!

Here's a simple solution - make one escalator carry people UP, and the other one stationary for people to walk down.

Do they need someone to have a heart attach to figure that out?

To add insult to injury, during the morning commute when everyone is going down into the station, one escalator was moving UP (and carrying no one, of course), and the other was stationary.

It's as if Metro is dyslexic when it comes to directional sensibilities.

Other items:
Sarles Q&A (WTOP)

Comments (54)

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+10 Vote up Vote down

Ever and Anon · 705 weeks ago

How ironic that Sarles did that Q&S yesterday, too. I encounter this SNAFU all the time with the escalators at my stations. Metro is so dysfunctional in so many ways.

-30 Vote up Vote down

Steve · 705 weeks ago

While I understand the frustration, maybe there's a safety reason that the other one is shut off. Perhaps if there's an emergency either above or below the station, they'd like to have at least one escalator that can be used in either direction.

Also, let's be honest, we could all use the exercise. Climbing some stairs won't kill you. The fact that so many people have problems with it is a sad reflection on the state of health of our public. Look at the NY subway. Almost no escalators or elevators anywhere. Yet somewhow 2 million people a day deal with it.

6 replies · active 705 weeks ago

+20 Vote up Vote down

Kara · 705 weeks ago

Ah, the exercise BS again.

Once more, stopped escalators != stairs for several reasons:

1) Steel has less give than wood making for a harder surface to walk on, especially when it is on edge vs a single plate.

2) The rises between steps are taller so it is not the size step your leg is used to walking on.

3) The rise changes at the top and bottom of the escalator which changes your rythm.

4) Escalators are narrower. Most likely you have a different natural pace than other people and passing when you are both walking in a narrow space is often problematic.

+12 Vote up Vote down

Sue · 705 weeks ago

Also, most stairways (such as the ones in the NY subway) do not have 120 steps. That's about how many escalator "steps" there are at one of the escalators at my Metro stop, awkward high steps with no landings in the middle. I count them whenever the escalator is broken.

+40 Vote up Vote down

Anony Mouse · 705 weeks ago

Give me a f*cking break about "we could all use the exercise." If I want to walk up 50 stairs, I'll do it on my own time. For the $5+ per ride I'm giving the Metro, they need to fix/turn on the goddamn escalators.

+21 Vote up Vote down

ZZinDC · 705 weeks ago

Not to mention having spent ten BILLION dollars to build the system in the first place. Make it work!

+14 Vote up Vote down

Kim · 705 weeks ago

Those Huntington escalators are LONG and narrow, there is no way to pass someone. I have encountered this as well. Even in good shape, its a tough climb.

+23 Vote up Vote down

Guest · 705 weeks ago

Hey Steve - do you forget about the persons who have documented medical conditions or disabilities that don't allow them to climb Metro escalator steps (they weren't designed for actual walking), especially when escalators are in questionable / inactive status? Exercise on the nonj-working escalator units is so great for those who are vision impaired and their service dogs, too. A 35 year old man died climbing the stairs in the heat about 10 years ago; just a matter of time before someone else goes down. People are already having seizures and fainting on trains (I was on one yesterday when this happened) after having to stand extra time due to delays in tunnels and AC issues. Thanks for your consideration.

+9 Vote up Vote down

Nancy · 705 weeks ago

I had a similar experience at the Dupont Circle north entrance on a recent Saturday morning. The elevator was out of order, as were all but one escalator. The one escalator in service was running down. It was a difficult and slow climb for most people and there were many along the way who had to stop for long periods of time in order to rest. I was truly afraid that someone was going to have a heart attack.

+4 Vote up Vote down

Kara · 705 weeks ago

I just HATE the Huntington escalators! There is a pretty good chance the center one will be going down when my train arrives and then my trip up the narrow ones will be hostage to whoever is in front of me.

+36 Vote up Vote down

Ms. Blasé · 705 weeks ago

I say make all the escalators go up and have the other folks slide down that part in the middle.

1 reply · active 705 weeks ago

+5 Vote up Vote down

Sue · 705 weeks ago

And keep the big knobs there for extra sliding fun.

+9 Vote up Vote down

Kel · 705 weeks ago

While I agree that if there's only one working escalator it should be the one going up, for those of us who are terrified of heights, the long stationary escalators are difficult, if not impossible, to walk down.

The problem is really one of design. You can't have a stair that is more than twelve feet (I believe) long, why can you have an escalator that is - especially since, when the it stops, an escalator is just a stair!

1 reply · active 705 weeks ago

+6 Vote up Vote down

Sam · 705 weeks ago

I disagree. Escalators are people-movers, not conveniences. They should go in the flow that requires moving the most people. If that means down, then so be it. The goal of the escalators should be to minimize the dangers of overcrowding.

+31 Vote up Vote down

Jamie · 705 weeks ago

I don't know how many times I've been heading from the orange/blue line platform to the red line platform at Metro Center and found that of three escalators, two are moving down and the third is stopped ... and so of course you end up with some idiot forcing all the up-walkers to jam to one side so that they can walk DOWN the stationary escalator. What, TWO MOVING ESCALATORS not enough for you, jack@$$??? I think it's the combination of metro fail + humanity fail that makes me want to start punching things.

3 replies · active 705 weeks ago

+15 Vote up Vote down

ZZinDC · 705 weeks ago

That happened to me at Federal Triangle once - and the guy walking down refused to get out of my way, so I had to stand there arguing with him for about 5 minutes, trying to decide how long I'd wait before throwing him over the rail.

+3 Vote up Vote down

William J. Simmons · 705 weeks ago

That is awesome!

+4 Vote up Vote down

MadAsHeck · 705 weeks ago

I get that at Gallery Place a lot. There is an up escalator, right next to stairs. No down escalator.

There is always some jackhole who walks up the stairs causing a jam where two rows of people walking down the stairs have to join together to get around him.

Just ride the escalator, dammit.

+4 Vote up Vote down

UnSuck Fan · 705 weeks ago

This is not to defend WMATA, but unfortunately, there are lots of factors that go into this and my guess is that the biggest factor is whether or not the station manager knows and/or gives a flying leap.

I get on and off at Wheaton and am guessing that most of us know or have heard about what those escalators are like. The other day, I was just stepping onto the escalator to go up when it made a funny noise and ground to a halt. Thankfully, no one was hurt (at least where I was). I was close enough to the bottom that I was able to get off and walk around to the elevator. When I got off the elevator, the station manager was yelling down to the riders not to get onto the escalator as he was trying to turn it back on (someone who was closer to the top must have informed him). The eventual end result was a good one as it has been working for most of this week (watch it break down now that I've said something!).

+7 Vote up Vote down

Anony Mouse · 705 weeks ago

Lainy has pointed out the logic and reason behind the escalator issue (it's obvious, right?). Metro uses neither logic nor reason for any of their decision-making, so this is a futile fight.

+16 Vote up Vote down

hrh king friday 13 · 705 weeks ago

It's evident that Metro is trying to kill us all.

+8 Vote up Vote down

· 705 weeks ago

I've asked station managers about this issue, and they say some of the escalators don't go on the opposite direction. one told me that if you turn it off, it won't come back on.

2 replies · active 705 weeks ago

+8 Vote up Vote down

RGG · 705 weeks ago

You beat me to it. Sometimes they just WON"T reverse so he/she just leaves them running the only way they WILL work. It looks retarded (sorry Ryan!!) to people using the system, but, unfortunately, it is what it is.....

0 Vote up Vote down

n2deep · 705 weeks ago

station managers do not have the authority to reverse directions on the escalators. that decision is left to the "holier than thou's" downtown

0 Vote up Vote down

Stan Dessel · 705 weeks ago

You babies screaming for attention!

-1 Vote up Vote down

steve · 705 weeks ago

To answer the question on escalators, it is purely an issue of union work rules. Despite the number of passangers it carries, there is little reason why they should be out of service and so much. For examply someone here posted Metro Station gets 11 million visitors every year. I'm not quite sure where they got that number from, but that is way off the mark. Also, major airports such as JFK, Atlanta Chicago all have escalators and carry metro's yearly load on a monthly basis, yet they all function properly or are fixed with relative speed.

Point is, per union rules they shut off escalators and keep them unfixed otherwise the union would have nothing to fix if they always worked.

Also, my question to Sarles is this; Why do we see an increase in fares, when both ridership has increased and there has been an increase in federal funding? Answer: Pensions Penseions and Pensions. About 1/3 of metro's budget is pensions and benefits. Quite frankly metro needs to cut a bloated staff (that is also itself quite bloated). Ever see 4 or 5 metro employees standing around doing nothing? I see it all the time, what do they do? what is there job? to keep the platform from floating away?

11 replies · active 704 weeks ago

-3 Vote up Vote down

n2deep · 705 weeks ago

steve,
what crack pipe did you draw that conclusion? the union shuts them off to guarantee work??!!?? really? there isn't enough work to be done so they shut off more.

the escalators are ,for the most part out of service for parts. and generally the parts metro orders are inferior parts at best. makes you wish for the days of parts "made in China". the garbage metro orders now are the absolute bottom of the barrel in quality. parts that should last several years only lasting a couple months. installing parts that are bad to begin with and so on.

and i spend quite a bit of time"standing around" on a platform . what is my job? what "should" i be doing. you don't know? so i guess it is easy for you to just assume i am not doing anything. believe me the only place you want to see me is standing on a platform. why? because if you see me rolling through a train then you might want to start picking up your shit because you might be about to be offloaded.

+4 Vote up Vote down

John · 705 weeks ago

Weren't you the DOPE who said you usually fix escalators in 6 weeks? So why is duponts entrance going to be shut for a year? They have 3 escalators there. 3 escalators x 6 weeks = 18 months / 4 weeks / month = 4.5 months. Did you mean it takes 6 months to fix an escalator? Because you'd make a lot more sense saying that, moron.

-2 Vote up Vote down

Nancy · 704 weeks ago

"3 escalators x 6 weeks = 18 months"?

-1 Vote up Vote down

ANON · 704 weeks ago

you're the idiot the dupont escalators are going to be totally replaced not rebuilt which means the use of cranes, a lot of wok something you no nothing about.

AT LEAST HAVE SOME KNOWLEDGE ON WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT IDIOT

-2 Vote up Vote down

John · 704 weeks ago

So it takes 4 months to build an escalator? Boy, building a mall must take 15 years according to your math, DOPE!

-1 Vote up Vote down

anon · 704 weeks ago

what about the task of taking the old one out, it doe's not come out in one piece you fucking moron.

you're an idiot with a lack of knowledge

0 Vote up Vote down

steve · 705 weeks ago

n2deep, its not a parts issue. plain and simple. ever notice how an escalator is out of service, but then later in the day its on?

if it was truley mechanical it would be out of service boarded up for weeks (months). But, they are turned off and on (only by technians), so there purpose is validated.

ever wonder why a fix doesnt actually fix? notice how an escalator is out of service for 8 months then deemed "fixed" and then its out of service later that week?

its because "work" is constantly needed to keep the union contract.

+1 Vote up Vote down

n2deep · 705 weeks ago

steve,
i really don't know where to begin to deal that idiotic statement. first turned on and off only by technicians?? show me proof of this stupidity. station managers, transportation supervisors and even custodians have escalator keys. hell even i have a set!
i can take you into any kiosk that has the elevator log books and page after page it is right there, "no parts in stock". nothing mystical or magical there. no great conspiracy theories. just very poor parts management.
and in other posts here "John" is correct, David Lacosse has made a shambles of the parts system. everything from on hand stock ,reorder points and change of suppliers. it is not a great secret around here.
and like i said earlier, you use shit parts you get shit results. one very common failure are the escalators that have the handrail issues. you know the ones, they are constantly sounding the bells, and the handrail is always skipping and jerking. why? because the techs are doing it for what you call, "job security"? no because of inferior drive belts. the older units used to have chain drive chains like the timing belts on older cars. but when the units were overhauled metro cut corners and initial overhaul expenses by changing these chain driven units with belt drives, similiar to your fan belt on your car with the exception that it has small "teeth" on them to drive the handrail. way cheaper than the previous style but also way less reliable. before you needed hundreds of pounds of tension to cause the chain to skip a link or to shear the drive shaft pin. now it only takes less that 50 pounds of pressure to cause the nylon belt to skip a tooth and experience problems. in other words before it would take a dozen full grown men to cause a failure, now it only takes one idiot to jump up on the handrail to cause the 50 pounds of pressure to induce failure.
i really would love to drag you down into one of the escalator pits and let you get your hands dirty. i would safely assume the whining could be heard blocks away.

and to "john", no i am not that DOPE elevator tech you speak of. a minimum of 3 to 4 months per escalator to overhaul on units over 200 feet.
but i am the one who will bring your train ride to screeching halt and offload the train at my discretion. and today has been a good day for offloads.

+3 Vote up Vote down

John · 704 weeks ago

n2deep, apologies, I mixed you up with someone else. You should probably get in contact with the guy who runs this blog and give a full exposee about David Lacosse's incompetence when it comes to the parts department. That guy needs to be exposed as someone who has the reverse Midas Touch - everything he touches turns to shit.

0 Vote up Vote down

ANON · 704 weeks ago

NOT TRUE THE MOD 100 ESCALATOR HAS ALWAYS BEEN A BELT DRIVEN HANDRAIL DRIVE SYSTEM.

NYLON BELT YOU REALLY ARE AN IDIOT THEY ARE NOT NYLON THEY ARE RUBBER WITH STEEL CORDS INSIDE SAME AS ALWAYS.

PLEASE HAVE SOME KNOWLEDGE BEFORE YOU SPEAK.

IDIOT IDIOT IDIOT IDIOT IDIOT

-1 Vote up Vote down

n2deep · 704 weeks ago

nylon or steel belted it all has the same results. i used the term nylon to attempt to convey to the average rider what the belts look like. and the older units before overhaul were chain driven. but i will refrain from calling you an idiot.... you asshole

+12 Vote up Vote down

John · 705 weeks ago

Who is in charge? Well there was a giant moron, by the name of David Lacosse, who drove the escalator repair department into the ground. He also hid numerous safety issues, which caused the L'enfant Plaza escalators to fail and a lot of people got hurt. Instead of being FIRED, like he should have, and charged with negligence, he was "transferred" to the parts department. Since being in charge of the parts department, metro employees have noted that the parts are in such bad shape by the time they are brought to the escalators they are practically useless.

Also, there was some IDIOT on this blog a while back who was saying that he's an escalator tech, and they usually finish escalator repairs in 6 weeks. (BIG LIE). So I am calling that guy out again: Why are they shutting down entire entrances to stations like Dupont and Bethesda, for a YEAR, when there are only 3 escalators there? Shouldn' t it only take 4 and a half months according to that bozo's count?

6 replies · active 704 weeks ago

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Kara · 704 weeks ago

Actually less as I hope they would do at least some of the work in parallel!

-1 Vote up Vote down

anon · 704 weeks ago

I'M that guy and the dupont escalators will be replaced not rebuilt big defferance.

like I said before check the log books in the kiosk and you will see the dates moron.

-1 Vote up Vote down

John · 704 weeks ago

yes, building an escalator takes 4 months. Complete BS. GOT IT!

DOPE!

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anon · 704 weeks ago

I CAN TELL YOU SIT AT A DESK AND PUSH A PENCIL AND HAVE NO COMMON SENSE.

MORON

-1 Vote up Vote down

John · 704 weeks ago

Also, Lacosse Lover,
You guys always ESTIMATE it takes 6 weeks, and then those estimates are pushed back MONTHS! It probably takes 6 weeks if you guys are working on that escalator every day, but 75% of the time, NOBODY IS THERE!

0 Vote up Vote down

anon · 704 weeks ago

you are full of shit we work every day

+2 Vote up Vote down

Arl Anon · 705 weeks ago

To Metro's credit, the one operating escalator at the 12th and G Metro Center entrance appears to be constantly operating up, leaving the stairway for passengers headed down.

+12 Vote up Vote down

jimlcunningham 80p · 705 weeks ago

I think the main problem is simple. The people who work in the little kiosks are too lazy or imcompetent to CARE whether the escalators are running the right direction. Fire them. There are millions of unemployed people out there who would love the opportunity to to the job right and be helpful.

4 replies · active 704 weeks ago

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n2deep · 705 weeks ago

station managers do not have the authority to change the directions of the escalators. so i guess your lazy and incompetent reasoning is easily dismissed as well

-1 Vote up Vote down

steve · 704 weeks ago

n2deep...i thought you just said in a prweviouse post station managers have keys to the escalators and can turn them on/change direction...which is it? do they or dont they have that authority? i smell a lazy unionized metro moron here. Nice try

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RGG · 704 weeks ago

I think this is how it works:

While station managers _have_ keys to the escalators and can "re-start" a shut down escalator, they don't have the authority to completely reverse those escalators without approval from their supervisors downtown.

Turn back on: YES
Reverse: NO

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n2deep · 704 weeks ago

rgg is correct . they can restart them but they do not have authority to change directions.

+2 Vote up Vote down

Rory · 705 weeks ago

I think that deep in the Metro rulebook, there must be a policy that says one escalator should always run against the heaviest flow of traffic, so that the trickle of people walking in that direction are not trampled by the flood of people walking

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vanceastro 111p · 704 weeks ago

Enamored "of"...

1 reply · active 704 weeks ago

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unsuckdcmetro 92p · 704 weeks ago

Thanks! I always get that one wrong.

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George Chamberlain · 704 weeks ago

"It's as if Metro is dyslexic when it comes to directional sensibilities"

No, it's as if they are doing it on purpose. I think this is how METRO passive-aggressively pushes back against the hate they get from us annoying customers.