Unsuck DC Metro: Broken Escalator Theory

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Broken Escalator Theory

Metro Center escalator glass pane been shattered for weeks.13th&G Shady Grove mezz to platform. Case#: 743913 Regular inspection fail @wmata
— AreYouListeningWMATA (@ListenUpWMATA) November 7, 2012

@listenupwmata Takes appx. 4-6 weeks to replace laminated glass, each is custom. If its a safety hazard units are blocked. Reply emailed.
— @wmata (@wmata) November 9, 2012

Not the best pic, but this is the shattered glass @wmata says will take 4-6 weeks to replace. cc: @unsuckdcmetro twitter.com/ListenUpWMATA/…
— AreYouListeningWMATA (@ListenUpWMATA) November 9, 2012

Metro's response seemed odd. Surely even Metro would not order something as absurd as custom made glass panels for its escalators, so I asked an expert.

Sounds like more B.S. I believe they use 1/2" Lexan panels. Lexan can be purchased as a sheet like plywood and cut with the same tools. If they don't have it in stock, it can be obtained locally same day or overnight shipped.

Another escalator source said leaving shattered glass like this was "rolling the dice" because if that glass shattered there's be a "significantly more expensive" cleanup and repair job not to mention injuries to riders.

@unsuckdcmetro Got a call from CS on Wed.Said it would be replaced Mon/Tue this week.This morning, there was tape on it.So, we'll see.
— AreYouListeningWMATA (@ListenUpWMATA) November 26, 2012

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Whistleblower faced retaliation (Examiner)

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+8 Vote up Vote down

Anon · 641 weeks ago

There was a shattered panel similar to the one tweeted in Pentagon City on the Huntington/Franconia-Springfield side of the station. Haven't checked this week, but it was there for a couple of weeks.

+18 Vote up Vote down

Everyday reader · 641 weeks ago

Remember it takes Metro a year to build stairs, so 4-6 weeks to replace a pane of glass would be nothing short of a modern engineering miracle for Metro.

1 reply · active 641 weeks ago

+11 Vote up Vote down

russell.j.coller.jr · 641 weeks ago

...ummm... this is why we can't have nice things?

+11 Vote up Vote down

WMATA EPIC RAGE · 641 weeks ago

I actually touched this glass because I walk up that escalator daily. It's weird, you can't feel the shattered-ness, it appears to be on the inside of the glass. It doesn't look like it will break and stab someone. It looks like someone kicked it really hard or something.

It's a bit of an issue because they are "rehabbing" the next escalator on that platform (have been since sept), so there is only one escalator (read: stairs) to function for up/down from platform to mezzanine/faregates on the 13th and G side. My guess is they haven't fixed the glass because there is only one functioning exit on that side, and they'd have to do it after hours. We all know metro doesn't do work after hours.

+8 Vote up Vote down

C S · 641 weeks ago

Everyday Reader is right -- this calls for an episode on Modern Marvels. Imagine the drama as Metro uses a giant, three-story crane to lower the replacement panel into place. Station only closed for eight months.

Sloth-like pace of repairs aside, it appears there is a glass-smashing phantom on the loose in Metro Center. Regular users of the station have seen a number of broken panels on several different escalators in recent months.

+21 Vote up Vote down

Hal · 641 weeks ago

I walk past this everyday. Beyond being a safety hazard (as someone else mentioned, this set of "escalator stairs" is the only way into and out of that platform since the other escalator has been out of service for months), it's such an embarrassment. Metro Center has the big sign saying "America's Subway" and then you have to walk through the lobby that until Monday was missing ALL THE CEILING TILES, through a faregate with a broken balance display, past the out of service escalator that no one is ever working on, then down the broken escalator with the smashed glass panel.

+9 Vote up Vote down

Jason · 641 weeks ago

I'll never understand Metro's need to answer with bizarre lies.

On an unrelated note, it was absolutely critical to do weekend construction service for Veteran's Day despite all the people who don't get that holiday, yet the Metro was actually pleasant to use this Thanksgiving weekend thanks to lack of construction. Over/under on doing them doing this based on wanting to look good for the tourists?

3 replies · active 641 weeks ago

+7 Vote up Vote down

dhdf · 641 weeks ago

Metro spokespeople lie because their job is to defend the indefensible. Instead of telling the truth, that it takes that long because the glass replacers are slow as dirt and there's no real timeline or oversight in place for them, they'll make up some story to avoid having to expose their messed up system. This is what you get when you have unqualified people working and running the show at the same time. Metro is a jobs program where only a few are qualified, and even fewer actually do their jobs.

+6 Vote up Vote down

Jason · 641 weeks ago

I can see how the escalator glass story is indefensible, but what about their consistent lying about the cause of the dead fish smell from the organic break pads? As I've said before, I think it would have been a bit of good PR to say something like, "Look, we didn't know about the dead fish smell until after we got them, we're looking into alternatives but since they succeed at safely stopping the trains we are going to run down the stock of dead fish break pads we already have."

People would probably appreciate the transparency and the statement of "we don't want to waste money". But instead they just lie about it. And unlike the escalator glass there's really nothing indefensible to cover up here.

+2 Vote up Vote down

anon · 641 weeks ago

On your unrelated note, the metro union contract recognizes federal holidays. Veteran's day is a federal holiday, making a three day weekend this year (official holiday being on Monday since the holiday fell on a Sunday), and hence, an extended opportunity for track work. The day after Thanksgiving is NOT a federal holiday. Metro ran full regular rush hour service that day. In metro's mind, a holiday on Thursday, regular work Friday, and a standard weekend. My point being, perhaps employers in general should recognize what is a holiday and what is not (like bank holidays in the UK).

+5 Vote up Vote down

guest · 641 weeks ago

OT: munich subway:
http://www.wired.com/rawfile/2012/11/nick-frank/?...

(wow!)

+9 Vote up Vote down

John · 641 weeks ago

There you go again, Unsuck! Citing your "sources" and not including their names in your article! Its not true unless Stessel says so! GGW and Alpert would never write an article like this! -Spataps

+10 Vote up Vote down

fixwmata 105p · 641 weeks ago

FWIW: at Pentagon City (Huntington/Franconia platform, first escalator - southernmost) this afternoon:
http://twitter.com/FixWMATA/status/27346326093680...

This flange of metal is just waiting to be caught on a bag and we'll get a repeat of L'Enfant. This escalator was going up - meaning bags would catch that metal - if it was going down it might be less of a threat.

Meanwhile - across the tracks there were workers working on the escalator on the northbound platform.

Consider this: the escalator problems are the problems we can see - imagine the safety issues with trains/tracks, etc that we can't see.

2 replies · active 641 weeks ago

+9 Vote up Vote down

Anon · 641 weeks ago

And with it being Christmas shopping season, Pentagon City's going to have their heaviest traffic this month - all with people dragging plastic bags full of moderate to expensive presents. But no matter, it'll be fixed eventually, right? Right?

-4 Vote up Vote down

Another Nick · 641 weeks ago

"Thankfully" its on the up escalator, not the down one, so less shopping bags.

-3 Vote up Vote down

anon · 641 weeks ago

Wow. Broken polycarbonate glass is a safety hazard? The damn thing is bullet proof. I doubt some cracking in one of the substrate layers is a safety hazard. Do some research next time.

2 replies · active 641 weeks ago

-2 Vote up Vote down

Anon · 641 weeks ago

Small question. If it's bullet proof, why is it broken?
Please get a dictionary and look up logic.

+11 Vote up Vote down

n2deep · 641 weeks ago

bullet proof glass shatters. bullet proof glass absorbs and dissipates the energy.
also the source in this article is wrong. it is not half inch lexan. lexan does not break.
As for the supposed long change out times on the broken escalator glass, I am not sure....not my department. but logically you have to take into account the length of the escalator units. i am sure the panels along the main parts are all the same dimensions. and are universal throughout. but the end panels on the top or bottom are different sizes.
this is a design issue from when the system was built. architectural designs was the driving force back then. nearly everything had to be visually appealing and unique. there were tons of awards handed out for the designs of the system back in the day. maintenance was not a consideration from what i have seen around here.

0 Vote up Vote down

UnSuck Fan · 641 weeks ago

Uh, am I reading this correctly? AreYouListeningWMATA said that this past Mon or Tues (Nov. 26 or Nov. 27) that Metro was supposed to fix the broken glass near the up escalator at 13th & G Shady Grove mezz to platform? If it's the one I think it is, I used that escalator this AM; the answer is your SOL!