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/ CBS Miami
MIAMI – Broken elevators and escalators at Miami-Dade Metromover and Metrorail stations across the county are leaving riders, especially those with mobility issues, with no way to get on the trains.
The Adrienne Arsht Center Station is just one of half a dozen stations with this problem. According to the county’s website, some of them are not expected to be fixed until July. The mayor’s office said riders at the Arsht station needing assistance are offered free transportation to the next station where the elevators and escalators are working.
Some people said they’ve seen people in walkers trying to climb the stairs and that this has been a problem for months.
Andrea Sarolle, who works at the DoubleTree Hotel by Hilton, said she puts in long hard hours and the last thing she wants to do is climb flights of stairs on her way home after being on her feet for eight-plus hours.
“A lot of people are complaining, even at my job, we have to go up the stairs and it’s difficult when you’re tired, like my legs sometimes,” she said.
So now she’s taking the bus to avoid the stairs and it’s costing her.
“You know when you’re trying to budget, we’ll you really can’t budget when this is free but then you gotta go pay money to get on the bus,” said Sarolle.
As for getting the problems fixed, the mayor’s office said in a statement that “We have demanded answers from the vendor responsible and continue to follow up to ensure there is an action plan that remedies and provides details on maintenance of elevators and escalators. We are also working to identify alternative solutions, like other sources for parts and innovative workarounds, to accelerate the repair of infrastructure out of service.”
Trish Christakis has been reporting for the CBS4 Miami team since February 2022.
First published on May 17, 2023 / 5:53 AM EDT
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