Unsuck DC Metro: Where's the Dupont Escalator Party Now?

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Where's the Dupont Escalator Party Now?

Transit grade: F. New escalators already out of service at Dupont South. pic.twitter.com/AdeWBjUM #wmata (via @MT2DC)

It seems like just days ago that Metro's GM Richard Sarles was out at a live streamed ribbon cutting celebration when the Dupont South escalators opened after over eight months of repair.

Actually, it wasn't even a month ago that Sarles said the following:

This project is just one visible example of how we re working to improve safety and reliability throughout the entire Metro system. Thanks to projects like this, along with improved maintenance across the system, we are seeing results. Escalator availability today is above 90 percent, an increase of 8 percent over last year.

The ever elusive Sarles was nowhere to be seen yesterday when riders reported all three escalators were out during the evening commute.

Here's what Metro riders had to say:

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Comments (50)

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+20 Vote up Vote down

BrianKal · 643 weeks ago

"break in period" Words only Danny could come up with.

+37 Vote up Vote down

MetroRider · 643 weeks ago

It's time for some "transit-grade" leadership at Metro.

+28 Vote up Vote down

finch2012 84p · 643 weeks ago

They're not broken, they're just stairs. Behold the circle of escalator life at WMATA.

2 replies · active 643 weeks ago

+4 Vote up Vote down

Hedberg · 643 weeks ago

"sorry for the convenience"

RIP Mitch

+2 Vote up Vote down

finch2012 84p · 643 weeks ago

*pours out a little liquor*

-69 Vote up Vote down

Jim · 643 weeks ago

Same old, same old 'Tro'.

Also, don't be surprised when the prez and the dems do the same blame game and smoke and mirror show these next four years. They're already on a good start (the general's new mistress, another trillion tacted on, and still no straight answers about the Bengazi attack). Good job 'merica allowing for this fool to keep his job. Good job.

8 replies · active 643 weeks ago

+21 Vote up Vote down

Kara · 643 weeks ago

So do you enjoy posting things completely off-topic on every site you can find?

-28 Vote up Vote down

Jim · 643 weeks ago

Yep.

+37 Vote up Vote down

@NoPants_McGee · 643 weeks ago

My god, THAT's why everyone's upset with Obama. He personally took eight months to repair the Dupont escalators and then had sex with General Petraeus and then took the escalators out of service again at rush hour! Man, what a dick.

-21 Vote up Vote down

Jim · 643 weeks ago

Exactly.

-4 Vote up Vote down

dhdf · 643 weeks ago

Ha ha, thanks for the laugh, Jimmy!

-2 Vote up Vote down

Jim · 643 weeks ago

No problemo.

+4 Vote up Vote down

Ever n Anon · 643 weeks ago

Can't find a legit political blog to post on now huh? You do realize this post has nothing to do with the issues had hand? Guess not.

-4 Vote up Vote down

Jim · 643 weeks ago

Dude, you're missing the point. But, whatever...

+30 Vote up Vote down

Dan Stessel · 643 weeks ago

Our new transit-grade staircases are working as intended. After examining the Storify images, I can confirm that the middle staircase is blocked off for cleaning. After all, safety first--we wouldn't want our customers slipping on the wet stairs.

You're welcome.

4 replies · active 643 weeks ago

-18 Vote up Vote down

Steve · 643 weeks ago

Why are they cleaning in the middle of evening commute. FYI even metro twitter handle says they are doing repairs.

+16 Vote up Vote down

Jason · 643 weeks ago

I can assure you that you are not responding to the real Dan Stessel.

+10 Vote up Vote down

BrianKal · 643 weeks ago

I wouldn;'t be so sure. It's stuff I could literally see him saying.

+13 Vote up Vote down

DanS · 643 weeks ago

You're welcome for the opportunity to use your legs to walk down our escalators. At Metro, we're saving the earth by reducing greenhouse gases. You're so very welcome!

+6 Vote up Vote down

guest · 643 weeks ago

Everything on Metro is BROKEN in and remains broken

2 replies · active 643 weeks ago

+6 Vote up Vote down

eed017 · 643 weeks ago

Everything's broken except for the executive bonus ATM.

+12 Vote up Vote down

Dan Stessel · 643 weeks ago

I can assure you that we get our bonuses direct-deposited into our bank accounts just like everyone else.

+9 Vote up Vote down

Frequent red liner · 643 weeks ago

I'm definitely not sure of what goes into escalator development and maintenance, but I just can figure out why metro continually gets it wrong while everyone gets it right. I go to the Macy's at metro center all the time, and have only seen the escalators stopped once. At that time, 3 escalators were being worked on. Each escalator had its own technician. After that, business as usual.

That said, thanks for the transit grade stairs at DuPont.

+8 Vote up Vote down

SammyDC · 643 weeks ago

I'd like to know why it takes WMATA 6+ months to fix/replace just one of those small 20-foot escalators at Rosslyn (between upper and lower platforms). I'm still of the opinion that there are only two (2) Escalator Repair Persons for the entire system.

2 replies · active 643 weeks ago

+3 Vote up Vote down

n2deep · 643 weeks ago

Metro does not do overhaul and replacement.It is contractor work. So the contractors are responsible for a period of 3 or 6 months, whatever the warranty happens to be.
The issue here isn't poor maintenance, it is poor materials used to build these units.

+1 Vote up Vote down

Daily Rider · 643 weeks ago

Is that due to bad specs by Metro, or is it the contractor's fault?

+5 Vote up Vote down

Tim · 643 weeks ago

I'm going to tailgate in and out of the system every day until all three of these escalators are working again.

+7 Vote up Vote down

Kara · 643 weeks ago

My usual commute takes me to DuPont south. Farragut north is further from my office and there are more streets to cross but I take it now. Why? Shorter walk up downed escalators.

+12 Vote up Vote down

Vienna Bound · 643 weeks ago

Thank you for your understanding? Understanding of what? Understanding that Metro is falling apart despite the shiny, new things that Metro celebrates with ribbon cutting ceremonies? Please don't thank us for what we know as fact, just make it right.

+36 Vote up Vote down

Stan Dessel · 643 weeks ago

We have temporarily paused the escalators to give riders a better appreciation for how shiny and new they are.

You're welcome!

+7 Vote up Vote down

dhdf · 643 weeks ago

Besides the fact that metro chooses to run an incompetent escalator dept, I still want to know why they run their escalators so slowly. I've read it was due to their belief that slower escalators is safer, I suppose people in DC cannot ride escalators like the rest of the world does. Seriously, they're so freakin slow. Metro's logic is flawed on this because when you run slow escalators what you have are more people walking on the left which results in more falls. I've fallen a couple of times, never while standing, and I've never felt the need to walk on an escalator other than the slow ones at metro.

4 replies · active 643 weeks ago

+6 Vote up Vote down

unsuckdcmetro 92p · 643 weeks ago

http://unsuckdcmetro.blogspot.com/2011/12/are-met...

+6 Vote up Vote down

Jim · 643 weeks ago

Gotta love the line, "enjoy the view". What view? The view of concrete?

+6 Vote up Vote down

@VeggieTart · 643 weeks ago

Remember the funky light display at Dupont South a few years ago? Unless Metro can do something like that to liven up those escalator walls, people are going to walk up and down the slow-moving escalators. If the escalators went a bit faster, it might also discourage some idiot parents from bringing their strollers on the escalators. I don't expect them to go at the speed of the escalator at Pentagon City Mall, but Metro can bump it up a notch.

+3 Vote up Vote down

Michelle · 643 weeks ago

The danger occurs when the esc shuts off with no warning. I'm okay with slow.

+5 Vote up Vote down

Red Line · 643 weeks ago

Break in period??? Thanks for your patience??? Ugh

+9 Vote up Vote down

Skip · 643 weeks ago

Nothing's broken. You can still walk up and down the escalator, just like before. The entrance is open, and as far as Sarles and WMATA are concerned, they've done their job. They re-opened the south entrance on schedule.

+8 Vote up Vote down

@ChrisHowdy · 643 weeks ago

Patience and understanding, total resignation to defeat, same thing.

+6 Vote up Vote down

Robert W. Smith · 643 weeks ago

Well, that does answer my question. It really does take 8 months to install stairs. Metro is par for the course!

+10 Vote up Vote down

Disgusted · 643 weeks ago

People in NJand NY should be grateful Sarles isn't with NJ Transit or the Port Authority these days because if he were, they wouldn't have public transit until Easter.
And then it would break on Easter Monday.
What a clown he is.

+5 Vote up Vote down

Everly Irritated · 643 weeks ago

No surprise. Ballston escalators did the same thing. A full year to replace them all and within a month, two were no longer functioning at all, the rest unreliably so.

+3 Vote up Vote down

hrh king friday 13 · 643 weeks ago

Call me crazy but what if they aren't really broke? These are BRAND NEW. I wouldn't put it past the Jeterites to disable just to get a team to "work" on them for another six months.

2 replies · active 643 weeks ago

+2 Vote up Vote down

n2deep · 643 weeks ago

do you also believe in the grassy knoll theory as well?

+4 Vote up Vote down

hrh king friday 13 · 643 weeks ago

You are familiar with the pick system, yes? Tell me what part of that is in the public's best interest?

+5 Vote up Vote down

dddddda · 643 weeks ago

So I went to find Metro's elevator and escalator status page, because i just could not believe that the failure rate was under 10%. Here it is: http://www.wmata.com/rider_tools/metro_service_st... I'd like you all to look at the graphs, then read some of the individual statuses, and tell me what's wrong with this page. Don't worry if it takes you a few minutes, I thought I was being thick for a while, but it turns out, Metro's the one that's thick. Unsurprising, but hilarious.

+8 Vote up Vote down

John · 643 weeks ago

They need to fire and replace EVERYONE in charge of the escalator department. I've been saying this for years. ITs been absolutely ridiculous and embarrassing. FIRE THEM ALL NOW!!!!

2 replies · active 643 weeks ago

+7 Vote up Vote down

Bob · 643 weeks ago

Firing useless employees would go against the very core values that WMATA lives by.