Okay folks, time to discuss the dire Metro subway escalator situation. Peep this photo essay and don’t hesitate to tag @NYTMetro on social media to get their attention.
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Originally published By Emma G. Fitzsimmons | October 21, 2019
We have all been there. You come across a broken escalator on the subway and suddenly you’re climbing up a long staircase with a pack of grumbling New Yorkers.
Out of 472 subway stations, only about 25 percent are accessible to riders in wheelchairs. Some stations are so deep beneath the city that your impromptu cardio session could mean walking up 100 steps to the street.
Subway riders already have to deal with a variety of daily indignities: unexpected delays, sweltering cars with no air conditioning and broken ticket machines. But as service on New York City’s subway slowly improves, the escalators are getting worse.
“Still shaking. I heard a loud crash while I was coming up the escalator at 5thAv/53rd St and saw this right in front of me. Could’ve shredded someone’s foot.”
These problems are particularly hard on older riders and those with injuries or disabilities. People who use wheelchairs often have to turn around and find another way out of the subway.
Only 87 percent of escalators were working in August, down 7 percent from a year earlier, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The rate for elevators was slightly better at 94 percent, but that was also down nearly 2 percent from a year earlier.
Because of this, you might think workers would move quickly to fix problems. But it can take days or weeks, and riders are infuriated each time a deadline inexplicably gets pushed back.