Baby Steps

The woes of the DC metro system are legion and a daily point of frustration. I largely avoid them by riding my bike to as many places as is practical (and just about every time I do ride metro I am reminded why). I assume the good folks at Metro try hard to fix the problems, but they never seem to make much progress.

Which is why I'm baffled why they don't do one very simple thing that to cure a major pain in their rails: Abandon the escalators in favor of steps.

Some of the biggest failures and more regular delays come from the breakdowns and bottlenecks created by the moving stairs that are largely unnecessary. So when I hear that Metro is going to undertake yet another major overhaul of yet another constantly malfunctioning set of moving stairs, it stops me, well, in my tracks. People can, should, and need to walk.

I just came back from New York. They don't have this problem. Granted most of their stations were built before escalators were common, and they aren't as deep, but they save a LOT of money, use no electricity, and NEVER break down (snow and ice excluded). For those who claim that steps at the really deep stations (like Dupont Circle and Forest Glen) would be impossible and dangerous, I say okay, leave in one set, up only. Coat the rest in concrete (with non-skid paint). Build in some rest platforms if need be, but people will adapt. Even if it takes a while.

Remember, steps are good. There are 12 steps to recovery. Hitchcock had his 39 steps. Lynryd Skynyrd begged Mister "Gimme 3 Steps". Please. All good.

Good for you.

Good for me.

Good for Metro.

Photo by Thomas Hawk.