The Metro Board of Directors refused an idea to replace escalators in the system with staircases.
The proposed $14 million conversion would take 23 “redundant” escalators that were 30 feet or shorter from 15 stations in an attempt to get long-term savings and give options to customers, said Metro staff. Escalators would only be replaced by staircases if there was more than one escalator serving the same direction.
One of Metro riders’ biggest complaints is that escalators and elevators seem to be constantly broken. Metro has the largest fleet of escalators in the world, with 588 escalators.
“These are the ones that work,” Dana Kauffman told Metro staff, while pointing to the list of locations for the 23 escalator conversions. Kauffman, a Virginia representative on the board, said he would not support the measure.
The estimated annual operating costs of the selected escalators is $1.2 million, said David Lacosse, director of Metro’s office of elevators and escalators. Of the 23 selected, 18 were up for the 12-week rehabilitation, which if converted to stairs would save Metro $4.5 million, he said.
It would take about eight years for Metro to recoup the cost of converting the escalators, based on operating costs alone, said Dan Tangherlini, Metro’s interim general manager.
Tangherlini said he was looking to “take money we have, apply it a little differently, save a little to invest” in other projects.
“I think our customers like escalators. They are used to it. To take it away to save $1.2 million a year?” asked Charles Deegan, a Maryland representative on the board.
Catherine Hudgins, a Virginia representative on the board, expressed concern about the influx of riders to the system, including the elderly and disabled, and how many people travel while carrying large objects that would be unable to use stairs.
“Are we making the system more accessible to a larger population?” she asked.
Several members of the board suggested looking at shorter escalators under 18 feet long for further study and more concrete figures. They also asked for comments from the public before any decisions would be made.
“There should be more stairs, but that is different than taking escalators we have out,” said Chris Zimmerman, a Virginia representative on the board.
