Test of elevators on pedestrian over- and underpasses in Warsaw
Abstract
During the last 10 years many road construction and modernisation projects in Warsaw included elevators as means to provide accessibility of grade separated pedestrian crossing for people with walking difficulty, wheelchair or pram. During the weekend of 30-31.07.2011 our volunteers inspected the actual accessibility of all underground and above-ground pedestrian crossings with elevators in Warsaw.
We visited 41 crossings in Warsaw itself, and 1 in the bordering town of Marki. The footbridges in 3 places were under reconstruction, and 1 in liquidation. In 38 other places we controlled operation of 99 elevators in total. Conclusions are surprising: 54% (53 in total) of the elevators do not work at all. Testers were able to try out the remaining 46%. 11% out of these 46% shows signs of a breakdown approaching (e.g. jamming door, strange noises during movement, etc).
However, more important than the percentage of elevators which work, is the percentage of footbridges, or underground crossings, which people in wheelchairs would be able to cross. What is the use of accessing the footbridge with an elevator on one side, if on the other side the elevator does not work? That footbridge is anyway not accessible for a person in a wheelchair. This is why, apart from calculating the number of elevators which work, we also calculated the number of footbridges and underground crossings which can actually be used in all possible directions by someone in a wheelchair. There were only 26% of such crossings (10 cases out of 38). We noted also the number underground crossings which were usable in some of the directions – e.g. it was possible to change trams on Rondo Dmowskiego, but it was not possible to access buses – there were 6 cases like that (16% of the total).
58% (22 cases) of crossings equipped with elevators did not allow people in wheelchairs to cross in any direction.
Detailed results
| Location of crossing | Number of elevators | Was it possible to cross? | Number of elevators which did not work | Testers’ remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al. Armii Krajowej / Słowackiego | 4 | NO | 4 | A lot of rust, broken glass. |
| Al. Jerozolimskie / C.H. Blue City | 2 | YES | 0 | The footbridge is supervised by a private company. |
| Al. Niepodległości / Biblioteka Narodowa | 2 | YES | 0 | |
| Andersa / Słomińskiego | 3 | NO | 3 | Tester was blocked in the elevator. 21 minutes waiting time. The alarm button does not work. If the user had not had a mobile, he would not be able to call for help. |
| Czecha / Edisona | 2 | NO | 2 | |
| Czerniakowska / 29 Listopada | 2 | NO | 1 | |
| Czerniakowska / Bartycka | 2 | NO | 1 | |
| Czerniakowska / Hołówki | 2 | NO | 1 | |
| Czerniakowska / Zaruskiego | 2 | NO | 1 | Buttons available in the cabin: yellow, zero, one, two, three. The design of buttons setup not easy to understand, one might not know which one to use to get up / down. |
| Grochowska / Jubilerska | 2 | NO | 1 | Broken call button for the northern elevator. |
| Jagiellońska / PIMot | 3 | NO | 3 | The footbridge is new, from the end of 2010. There were notices with repair time 2011.07.15 on two elevators, and 2011.07.25 on the third one. |
| Marynarska / Postępu | 3 | YES | 0 | Maintenance phone number missing. |
| Ostrobramska / C.H. Promenada | 2 | NO | 2 | |
| Ostrobramska / Kinowa | 2 | NO | 1 | |
| Ostrobramska / Motorowa | 2 | NO | 1 | |
| PKP Al. Jerozolimskie | 4 | PARTIALLY | 1 | |
| PKP Rakowiec | 6 | PARTIALLY | 4 | In one of the elevators in working order (descent to the platform for trains in the Radom direction from Grójecka street from direction of the City Center) the doors tend to jam. In another of the elevators in working order (from tramstop from direction of the City Center to the platform for trains in the direction of Dworzec Zachodni) the doors are hard to close. |
| PKP Żwirki i Wigury | 2 | NO | 2 | |
| Plac Bankowy | 5 | YES | 0 | |
| Plac Czerwca 1976 r. | 2 | YES | 0 | Anyone attempting to cross Traktorzystów street this way would encounter stairs after exiting the elevator. |
| Płowiecka / Jubilerska | 2 | NO | 2 | |
| Płowiecka / Trakt Lubelski | 2 | NO | 2 | |
| Powsińska / Limanowskiego | 2 | NO | 1 | One of the elevators is in working order, but the lower doors on eastern side do not open. Window pane damaged in one of the elevators. |
| Powsińska / Orężna | 2 | NO | 1 | |
| Prymasa 1000-lecia / Bema 65 | 2 | NO | 2 | Maintenance phone number missing. |
| Prymasa 1000-lecia / Obozowa | 2 | PARTIALLY | 1 | The elevator on western side is not working – half of the bus stops are accessible. |
| Rondo Dmowskiego | 8 | PARTIALLY | 3 | It is dirty; in one of the elevators in working order the doorstep is broken. (stop Centrum 09). |
| Rondo Zesłańców Syberyjskich | 4 | PARTIALLY | 2 | Elevators on the western side do not work, maintenance phone number missing. One of the eastern side elevators is in working order makes strange noises during movement. |
| Rzymowskiego / Cybernetyki | 2 | NO | 2 | Maintenance phone number missing. |
| Słowackiego / Potocka | 2 | YES | 0 | The elevator looks new, as if recently installed. |
| Sobieskiego / Czarnomorska | 2 | YES | 0 | The doors are hard to open. Broken safety button at the eastern side of the footbridge. On the western side, the notice with maintenance phone number is damaged. |
| Sobieskiego / Iberyjska | 2 | YES | 0 | The doors are hard to open. Light does not function in the eastern elevator. Excrements in one of the elevators. |
| Sobieskiego / Instytut Psychiatrii i Neurologii | 2 | NO | 2 | Eastern side of the foorbridge – electrical box is open. |
| Sobieskiego / Kostrzewskiego | 2 | YES | 0 | The doors are hard to open. Eastern side elevator – window pane broken. On the eastern side, the notice with maintenance telephone number is partly damaged. |
| Toruńska / C.H. Marki | 1 | YES | 0 | The footbridge is managed by a private company. |
| Tunel Wisłostrady | 4 | PARTIALLY | 3 | In the only elevator in working order it is really dirty. |
| WKD Al. Jerozolimskie | 2 | NO | 2 | Window panes broken. |
| Wołoska / Galeria Mokotów | 2 | NO | 2 | The footbridge is managed by a private company. Maintenance telephone number missing. Water leaks from the cabin of one of the elevators (although it is not raining). |
| Total number of elevators: | 99 | Number of elevators which were out of order: | 53 | 54% do not work, 11% work with some problems |
Footbridges which are not put into service yet, and therefore we have not taken them into account in the table above:
– Żwirki i Wigury / 1 Sierpnia,
– Ostrobramska / Grenadierów,
– Grochowska / Garwolińska.
Footbridge in demolition:
– Marymoncka / Przy Agorze.
| Crossings in total | Fully possible to cross | Not possible to cross | Partially possible to cross |
|---|---|---|---|
| 38 | 10 | 22 | 6 |
| 100% | 26% | 58% | 16% |
Selected photos
This elevator at PIMOT tram stop should be working since July 15th. Unfortunately, it is not.
There have already been several deadlines for the elevator to be repaired. It is still impossible to use the elevator, and it has been so, according to the information from the notice, since 03.06.2011, so for almost 2 months already (!)
Czerniakowska street. No effort was put to give the planned repair time. Closed until further notice.
Here there is even no notice. But the elevator does not work anyway.
Users have summed up the administrator of footbridge on Jagiellońska street (Printed notice says Repair. Elevator out of order till ….We apologize
; handwritten note says Lazybones).
We have found places which were damaged on purpose, but they were just a few. The most common reason why elevators do not work is technical breakdown.
In this case (Sobieskiego street) the breakdown might be a result of the fact that the electrical box is open. Unfortunately it is quite common and not only at footbridges.
Steel elements gnawed through by rust is also not something that vandals could be responsible for.
Gdański Train Station. The temperature in the cabin without ventilation was increasing without mercy, and the technical help took time to arrive. One of our volunteers spent more than 20 minutes in such situation.
Another picture from Czerniakowska street. There are quite a few buttons in the cabin, but which one to press to go down?
Footbridge at M1 Marki shopping center. This elevator maybe does not look nice, but at least it works. Maybe it is so because it not under the administration of ZDM?
Footbridge on Radzymińska street. Somehow the technical breakdowns and devastation do not happen in case of concrete ramps. They are not harmed by water, either, compared to electrical instalation of elevators. This is why we have not tested them. There was no need.
Additional information
Three volunteers were blocked in elevator cabins while testing them. Two managed to get out on their own: one succeeded to go back to the level from which he started (we included this elevator into not-working category), the other went with the elevator up and down until at some point it was possible to open the door (we concluded this elevator was working).
The third volunteer who got stuck was less lucky – he spent 21 minutes in the small cabin without ventilation waiting for the technician who could help. During that time he used his multi-function bicycle speed meter for measuring temperature. Despite rather cold weather outside, the temperature in the cabin increased from 20 C to 27,5 C during the 21 minutes of waiting. No wonder, that the ladies who tested the elevators with us last time, did not feel well in similar situation. Our tester (who is a healthy cyclist) did not feel well, either.
The volunteers checked not only whether the elevators worked, but also their state. In some of the elevators (e.g. Armii Krajowej / Słowackiego) the dirt was such that it is hard to describe. Broken glass was not a rare occurrence. In some cases our volunteers noted protruding fittings with sharp edges, or buttons pulled out. Only in one elevator (Toruńska near M1 shopping center, so outside Warsaw and not under the care of ZDM) a smell of some cleaner, probably a trace of recent washing of the elevator, was noticed.
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank Michał Batorowicz, Ewelina Całka, Daniel Figura, Marcin Jackowski, Grzegorz Mital, Grzegorz Romanik, Bogdan Rossa, Wojciech Szewczyk, Łukasz Wildangier, Patryk Wojdat and Jerzy for taking time on weekend to check places all over the city and collecting data which were necessary to create this list.
I would like to thank Marek Sołtys (known as Szalony Wózkowicz – The Crazy Wheelchair User) for his expert advice and support.
Report prepared by Rafał Muszczynko. Translation: Zuzanna Iskierka.
See also
(in Polish, but the pictures should be self-explanatory)
Photoreport of earlier footbridges tests in Praga Południe district: [zobacz >>>]
Photoreport of earlier visit on the new footbridge over Jagiellońska street: [zobacz >>>]
Pilot tests from 2008 on Słowackiego street: [zobacz >>>]