In letter to company, Miami-Dade mayor blasts ‘failure’ to fix transit elevators, escalators

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – As elevators and escalators in disrepair continue to be a growing problem at public transit stations in Miami-Dade County, local leaders took action Friday in order to get them fixed at a faster pace.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava sent a letter to the contractor, Schindler Group, that included a list of demands and the possibility of pursuing damages if there are further delays in repairing them.

Levine Cava requested certain actions, including completing repairs of elevators and escalators within 30 days and minor repairs within an hour of notification.

She also asked county staff to look at hardening facilities to protect the systems from harsh weather, which causes them to deteriorate faster.

Levine Cava also said the county will explore possible options for repairs and hardening of these facilities – including seeking state and federal funding to make improvements where they are needed “in order to enhance the lifespan of our conveyances moving forward.”

After riders voiced frustration over broken elevators and escalators at multiple Miami Metromover stations, Schindler Group has defended its work after county officials said they’re looking for a new vendor.

Broken elevators and escalators, sitting dormant for months, long past the dates they were supposed to be repaired, are plaguing Miami’s Metromover system, seriously inconveniencing riders, especially those with disabilities.

It also turns out that the elevator and escalator issues extend beyond the county’s transit system and into the airport.

According to the letter, county staff has identified the following sites as the most vulnerable throughout the system due to a lack of redundancy in conveyance units:

• Adrienne Arsht Center Station – Escalator inoperable for 217 days

• School Board Station – Escalator inoperable for 204 days

• Financial District Station – Escalator out for 199 days

• Eleventh Street Station – Escalator inoperable for 384 days

• Fifth Street Station – Elevator inoperable for 365 days

“It’s extremely frustrating and upsetting, this difficulty, so it has gotten worse in recent months, unfortunately, and again, these things are out of repair maybe because they need to be replaced,” Levine Cava said Tuesday. “Everyone should know that we’re working aggressively to solve this problem.”

Levine Cava wrote that the county is exploring options to provide alternatives to riders with limited mobility and who are unable to access certain stations, including expediting the roll-out of the GoConnect system to provide more seamless on-demand transportation.

Read Levine Cava’s letter to Schindler Group below