Metro’s escalator performance has long been a sore spot for riders, with outages and closures for repairs being an everyday inconvenience for many.
And when it happens at stations known for their deep entrances, that leaves tired commuters the choice of hoofing it up the steps or waiting in a long line for the elevator.
That was the case last spring when Bethesda’s 180-step escalators were out, as were several of Dupont Circle’s 120-step escalators this summer. Wheaton’s escalators — the longest in the entire system — have suffered several outages this year too, most recently last month.
Christopher Zimmerman, chairman of Metro’s safety committee, said brake malfunctions like the ones Saturday and Wednesday are “rare” and “most of the time it’s the other way — they shut off.”
That problem has been worsening for Metro with the average escalator reliability falling for the past three years, from 93.7 percent in 2007 to 90.5 percent in 2009.
As of Thursday, roughly 10 percent of Metro’s 588 escalators were closed for repairs, according to the agency’s Web site. The 58 outages are across 34 stations, including eight escalators out at Gallery Place. A total of 10 elevators are closed.
An October audit showed Metro’s escalator and elevator service is still slipping, citing a “lack of adherence to maintenance standards” and an “unbalanced” preventative maintenance schedule.
Metro says it is working on hiring supervisors for escalators and elevators, as many have retired or left the agency recently.
