$20 million earmarked for repairs to Metrorail, Metromover elevators and escalators
MIAMI - Miami-Dade County leaders plan to spend close to $20 million on repairs to elevators and escalators around Metrorail and Metromover platforms, a move some passengers said is long overdue.
Currently, 17 elevators or escalators are out of service, according to Miami-County's Department of Transportation and Public Works. Some will be repaired as soon as Thursday. Others will not be fixed until 2025 at the earliest.
For Charles Roessler, who lost a leg to diabetes and his ability to drive, Metrorail and Metromover are lifelines to life's necessities. However, access often feels out of reach.
Roessler told CBS News Miami he had to roll his wheelchair around Government Center looking for an elevator that works, then rush to catch a train.
"Miami-Dade County doesn't want to fix s***," he said. "Look at me. I'm handicapped. It sucks (trying to catch trains). (The elevators are) not getting fixed, not getting fixed whatsoever. I come down here to do my business here because my doctors are down here and my pharmacist is down here. (County leaders) don't care about people that are handicapped that need the elevators to get to the platform or the Metromover that is always, constantly breaking down."
Mayor Daniella Levine Cava's office emailed a statement:
"Ensuring our transit system is accessible and reliable for all our residents and visitors is a top priority for the mayor. Historic lack of investment in critical infrastructure has resulted in many of the challenges our county faces today, and under the mayor, the administration has been working hard to make up for lost time on elevator and escalator maintenance—working directly with the department and vendors and bringing emergency procurements to accelerate this work.
The biggest factors driving delays on repairs and replacements are supply chain issues and labor shortages. The County continues to invest all funds needed to execute repairs and replacements as quickly as possible based on the constraints with parts and personnel—we have committed nearly $20 million in this year's proposed budget for transit repairs and replacements, which is a 57% increase over last year, underscoring our commitment to this effort."
The Miami-Dade County Department of Transportation and Public Works also released a statement.
"The Department of Transportation and Public Works is committed to ensuring all residents and visitors can access our transit system, and a properly functioning elevator and escalator system is a top priority for our team. We have been working hard to keep elevators and escalators functioning and to accelerate repairs and replacements wherever needed, investing nearly $20 million in our proposed budget for the coming fiscal year.
Currently, 97% of all our conveyances are operational across the system. The biggest challenges impacting delays on repairs and replacements of conveyances are ongoing global supply chain issues and workforce shortages. The department is in daily communications with our primary vendor, and we meet twice weekly to discuss the status of repairs and replacements. However, we understand how even a few units out of service can inconvenience those who depend on our system.
We continue to provide free solutions such as MetroConnect to offer rides on demand to passengers that need additional help, and we communicate daily with riders about conveyance and repair status changes over multiple channels, including text alerts and a status page on our website."
Roessler said the planned investments are not enough. He believes the light rail system needs to be taken apart and rebuilt with people with disabilities in mind. Roessler does not think the current system takes his needs into consideration.
"It does not," he said. "No. (It's not built) with me in mind, not anybody else that has disabilities in mind."