News & Politics

Metro Is Testing Color-Coded Escalator Handrails to Help Out Commuters

Your morning train ride could get a lot more colorful

On Sunday, Twitter user @thejennyjude spotted something odd at DC’s Fort Totten Metro station. The old black handrails had been replaced with bright colors — green, yellow, and red — that match the Metro lines at the bottom of the escalators. It’s a clever and eye-catching way to quickly show riders the way to their trains.

According to a WMATA spokesperson, the makeover is being tested only at this one station as a way to help commuters “find their way to the right platform.” The idea was suggested by staff on Metro’s elevator and escalator team. The test is “cost-neutral,” according to the spokesperson, because handrails are replaced regularly and the cost of different colors is “negligible.”

The project is already sparking plenty of opinions from locals. @Jennyjude’s tweet has gained 15,000 likes in a little more than 24 hours, and hundreds of comments:

https://twitter.com/HakunaWMATA/status/983098589982445569

https://twitter.com/mdrake___/status/983046779271868416

https://twitter.com/slimsteve/status/983024852205531136

https://twitter.com/CWadeTheSequel/status/983149924870127616

Editorial Fellow

McKenzie is a spring 2018 editorial fellow. She graduated in May 2017 from Kent State University with a major in journalism and minor in fashion media. She was most recently a copy editor at the New York Times Student Journalism Institute. Georgetown is her favorite place in DC, and she loves food, style, Netflix, and her Kindle.