Problems with broken elevators and escalators at Metromover stations across Miami-Dade County are persisting, causing big concerns for riders.
New repair dates are now more than a year out. A broken escalator at a station in Brickell will now be fixed at the end of December 2024, according to the Miami-Dade County website.
“That’s crazy,” said Cova Martinez, who rides the Metromover daily from school to home.
“So Miami,” she added, laughing.
Get South Florida local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC South Florida newsletters.
Riders like Martinez are in disbelief at the repair dates. She is concerned for riders that have strollers or mobility issues.
“I don’t care because I’m young and I can go up the stairs, but there are people who are disabled that can’t, she said.
And that’s why NBC 6 started looking into this issue because of a picture shared online showing a woman struggling to get up the stairs at a station where both the escalator and elevator were broken.
The problem appears only to be getting worse. In the initial NBC 6 report a few weeks ago, there were three stations with broken elevators. Now, there are four, according to online county records.
Back in May, five stations had broken escalators. That number is down to four, but the repair date is now pushed back from the end of July to the end of 2024. And with these elevators constantly going out of service, that could be a big problem.
“It’s something they should do something about,” Martinez said.
One elevator at the Arsht Center Station was repaired a day ahead of time, but riders wonder how long the repair will last.
NBC6 reached out to Miami- Dade County, who said this “remains a top priority” and that it is working with company Schindler to “expedite” the repairs.
When NBC6 pushed the county on why the repair date is more than a year from now, a spokesperson said that the escalators needed to be replaced.
NBC6 also reached out the Schindler, the company that has the multi-million dollar contract to repair the elevators and escalators. The company did not respond.
