Elevator & Escalator Assessment

In June 2010, Interim General Manager Rich Sarles directed that a review of the elevators/escalators be conducted. Metro received an advance copy of the final report from Vertical Transportation Excellence (VTX) regarding the escalator review program on November 10, 2010. The 308-page report is posted in four links below.

• Pages 1-75 (5.5 MB)
• Pages 76-150 (7.4 MB)
• Pages 151-225 (8.3 MB)
• Pages 226-308 (9.4 MB)

VTX's findings, combined with Metro's own inspections, affirm that one of the major factors of the state of Metro's escalators and elevators is a result of many years during which there has been a lack of adherence to Metro's own maintenance standards. Metro will continue its focused work until all 588 of the system's escalators and 275 elevators meet the agency's maintenance standards.

The report identifies escalator brake issues among several maintenance issues to be addressed by the agency. Mr. Sarles acknowledged that, while escalator brakes were being addressed as a maintenance issue, greater emphasis should have been placed on brakes as a safety matter and elevated to the Board's attention sooner.

Mr. Sarles directed VTX to return in six months, in May 2011, to validate that the action plan that Metro previously launched along with the steps being taken with respect to the brakes are effectively addressing the findings in the report.