photos by Jonathan Padget
hahaha fantastic find by Jonathan who asks: “Who’s gonna tell wmata this isn’t an elevator?”
“I think they’re on all the escalators at McPherson Square.”
Note: WMATA quickly responded: “thanks for sharing this with us. We’ll take care of it.”
Background from WMATA:
“Escalator Replacement
Did you know that the top five longest escalators in the United States are Metro escalators? The longest escalator, located at Wheaton Station, is 230 feet long! Replacing these world-record escalators requires careful planning and execution.
Metro’s first escalator replacement contract in 2011 delivered 145 brand new escalators in eight years. As a result of that project, the average age of our escalators decreased from 27 years at the start of the project to just over 11 years by the end.
In 2021, we kicked off a second project that will replace 139 escalators across 34 stations by 2028. The new escalators are more durable and reliable, and feature LED lighting and UV-C disinfection, providing a safer and smoother trip for you. Since the most recent project began, escalator failures reduced by nearly 30% systemwide.
Completed Stations
The escalator replacement project hit the 50% completion milestone in December 2023. By December 2028, 139 escalators at 34 stations will be replaced.”