Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava sent a letter to the contractor that included a list of demands and the possibility of pursuing damages if there are further delays with repairing broken escalators and elevators at transit system stations. NBC6’s Lorena Inclan reports
Elevators and escalators in disrepair have become a growing problem at public transit stations in Miami-Dade County.
On Friday, 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.
The mayor expressed frustration with the delays at a Friday morning event and vowed to prioritize certain stations, like the one at the Adrienne Arsht Center that has both a broken elevator and escalator. The escalator has been inoperable for seven months, according to the county, but the lengthiest wait time goes to the escalator at the 11th Street Station, which has been in disrepair for more than a year.
For months, the only way up at multiple Metromover stations is by a long flight of stairs, forcing people who use wheelchairs, like Jorge Guerra, to seek other ways to get to their destination.
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“I came here believing it was working, so yeah, it sucks," Guerra said. "It sucks because to get around without this station is not that easy."
And it’s not just Metromover stations — the county’s website also shows several Metrorail stations where elevators and escalators are also in disrepair.
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“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. “Everyone should know that we're working aggressively to solve this problem.”
Levine Cava said they’re holding daily briefings with Schindler Group and giving them aggressive deadlines.
“The company has not been able to meet some of the past dates they have provided due to failure of accessing parts,” Levine Cava said.
In the meantime, Levine Cava said they’re launching the GO Connect app that gives passengers the option to request rides to other transit stations.
NBC6 asked the mayor if it was time to get a new company.
“You know, look, we need everybody, all hands on deck, because these elevators are old," Levine Cava replied. "The escalators, some of them have been exposed to the elements — they may be repaired and then they break down again."
The mayor said they hope to launch GO Connect in a few days and they’re reaching out to disability advocacy groups to make sure they’re aware of the resources available.
In the letter the mayor sent Schindler Group, the county requested certain actions, including completing repairs within 30 days and minor repairs within an hour of notification. The mayor has also asked county staff to look at hardening facilities to protect the systems from harsh weather, which causes them to deteriorate faster.
The Schindler Group sent NBC6 a statement in response to the mayor's letter Friday, saying her claims were "filled with inaccuracies and unfounded allegations," and claimed the county's "lack of investment" is at the core of the issues.
Read its full statement below:
Schindler strongly disagrees with the claims contained in the letter issued by Mayor Levine Cava’s letter this afternoon, which is filled with inaccuracies and unfounded allegations.
Simply put, Miami-Dade County’s lack of investment in this infrastructure over the last four decades is at the core of the ongoing performance issues facing the transit system today. Despite this lack of investment and failure to make necessary decisions, Schindler has gone above and beyond the terms of our contract to extend the life and performance of this aging and failing equipment. However, much of this equipment is on life support, and unfortunately, if the county continues to neglect its responsibility to properly invest in the necessary repairs and upgrades, these performance issues and out of service events will persist and likely deteriorate further.
Despite a productive meeting with the mayor’s office this week, we’re disappointed to see that the mayor’s team has resorted to politics instead of staying focused on progressing with an aligned action plan.
Schindler intends to vigorously defend itself against these baseless claims and will be issuing a detailed formal response to the mayor's office in the near future.
