State of the Subway

Because It's Serious Folks

The brakes on those cavernous escalators have for most of the Fenty administration been not up to snuff. They just recently got a full inspection and major defects were found and are now being replaced appropriately. http://chevychase.patch.com/articles/bethesda-friendship-heights-station-escalators-repaired-after-system-wide-brake-inspection

People from all over the country come and ride the DC Metro system. You can get by without a car in DC and it is preferred for many with the aggressive parking ticketing, lack of parking space downtown and exorbitantly expensive rates that in places shame even New York parking garages.

DC Metro has had its share of unthinkable disasters- like the whole escalator crashing with people tumbling pyramiding to the bottom during a Rally mob scene week-end with folks rushed to the hospital from L'Enfant Plaza, people actually dying on a crash in recent memory and at least one flash mob assault where DC Metro police were nowhere to be found. This all spells big liability. A friend recently emailed me that an entire platform of people at Foggy Bottom recently watched a guy snatch a woman's purse from off her shoulder and bolt out up escalators with everyone minding their own business and no one stopping him. Foggy Bottom metro is closed all MLK week-end for repairs.

People with small children hold their hand as they stand on the escalator and with the other hold their folded baby strollers- especially around Woodley Park at the Zoo stop in warmer weather and other sites of amusement for children- children ride the Metro.

Imagine a break failure with a school classroom going on a zoo visit, or mom and dad out for Sunday strolling with folded stroller on the Metro holding a toddler. Look how long those escalators are at Dupont- now imagine you are a four year old looking down. Rather terrifying when it stops abruptly mid-ride, don't you think?

DC Metro (and surrounding burbs) need major funding for the fix, not just the PR. And it wouldn't hurt to have roaming Metro cops on the trains once in a while.

It does look like this is getting attention with Mayor Gray's priorities -thank you.
We welcome any and all improvement. Because this all needs to be up to state of the art inspection snuff by the Spring. Then we can start talking about the Jubilee Line and the ride to Dulles.