{"id":297519,"date":"2026-10-01T10:10:31","date_gmt":"2026-10-01T10:10:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/297519\/"},"modified":"2026-10-01T10:10:31","modified_gmt":"2026-10-01T10:10:31","slug":"why-the-mt-lebanon-station-elevator-is-still-broken","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/297519\/","title":{"rendered":"Why the Mt. Lebanon Station elevator is still broken"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"&quot;byline&quot;\">by Lucas Dufalla, Pittsburgh&#8217;s Public Source <br \/>September 30, 2026<\/p>\n<p>Last summer, Laura Szafranski boarded the Red Line trolley at Fallowfield Station in Beechview, where she lives. Her destination was a lab in Mt. Lebanon for monthly blood work needed since her kidney transplant in 2023.<\/p>\n<p>Stepping off the train, she made her way to the station\u2019s lone elevator, only to find a large, handwritten out-of-service sign. She took the stairs, which were difficult to manage because of a visual impairment, she said.<\/p>\n<p>The next month, the sign was still there. Same the month after that. More than a year later, the elevator is still out of order. Ask a municipal employee, the elevator contractor and a union leader why a fix takes so long, and you\u2019ll hear about parts, insurance and even global supply chain issues.<\/p>\n<p>A $335,000 modernization project, complicated by a mechanical issue and a parts delay, finally got underway this month, with repair work slated to wrap up in December. Until then, though, Szafranski and other riders with mobility challenges are forced to use a steep set of stairs or climb an even steeper hill.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/DA_MtLebElevator-Dufalla-15.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1337766\"\/>An out-of-service sign on the elevator at Mt. Lebanon Station on Sept. 17, in Mt. Lebanon. The station&#8217;s sole elevator has been inoperable for more than a year. (Photo by Danny Arensberg\/Pittsburgh&#8217;s Public Source)<\/p>\n<p>What seems like a short walk or climb up the stairs can be a struggle for others.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s small until it\u2019s not,\u201d Szafranski said. \u201cIt\u2019s small until it&#8217;s you or a family member trying to get accessibility to even the most insignificant things.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A steep climb, no easy fix<\/p>\n<p>Mt. Lebanon is home to two Red Line stations: Mt. Lebanon Station, located along Shady Drive East, and Poplar Station, on Pennsylvania Boulevard. Mt. Lebanon Station is by far the more popular of the two, with a total of around 150 weekday boardings per direction in February, according to Pittsburgh Regional Transit data. Poplar Station had about one-fifth as many.<\/p>\n<p>Mt. Lebanon and Castle Shannon share Arlington Station, just off Mt. Lebanon Boulevard, according to Pittsburgh Regional Transit spokesperson Eddie Phillipps.<\/p>\n<p>\n<iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" title=\"Where&amp;apos;s the elevator?\" src=\"https:\/\/datawrapper.dwcdn.net\/cSzkx\/4\/#?secret=MUlqDvUVN5\" data-secret=\"MUlqDvUVN5\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"603\"><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<p>Mt. Lebanon Station sits at the bottom of a hill, sandwiched between Shady Drive East and Parse Way. To get to Washington Road \u2014 Mt. Lebanon\u2019s primary commercial corridor \u2014 without the elevator, trolley riders either have to walk up a hill along Shady Drive, or take a set of stairs up to Parse Way to another municipally owned elevator.<\/p>\n<p>While the year-long out-of-service elevator hasn\u2019t increased Szafranski&#8217;s commute time, it has forced her to pick between stairs that challenge her vision and a hill that\u2019s tough to scale in winter, she said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou only have transit for able people. Not really for everybody,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>Phil Avolio, the municipality\u2019s facilities and parks coordinator, said he has the numbers and emails of four transit users regularly requesting updates on the elevator. For much of the past year, the updates have remained the same: The municipality has been waiting on parts.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/DA_MtLebElevator-Dufalla-3.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1337768\"\/>Mt. Lebanon Station as a train arrives at the station on Sept. 17. (Photo by Danny Arensberg\/Pittsburgh&#8217;s Public Source)<\/p>\n<p>Problems with the elevator started last July, before the municipality\u2019s facilities department was supposed to start work on a $335,000 modernization project that would replace the entire elevator and install a fire safety system.<\/p>\n<p>That same month, before the department could start on the project, the jack responsible for lifting and lowering the cab had a mechanical issue, according to Avolio. The municipality decided to take the elevator out of service because of the issue and start the modernization project immediately.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou only have transit for able people. Not really for everybody.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Laura Szafranski, Transit User<\/p>\n<p>The work is part of a larger three-elevator project in the municipality, of which Mt. Lebanon Station\u2019s elevator was the next lift slated for upgrades. A nearby elevator was brought \u201cback into the time period,\u201d in 2024 through another $335,000 modernization project, according to Avolio.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt least our line of thinking that this is the next one that needs attention was correct,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>A year later, project still not complete<\/p>\n<p>Avolio said the modernization project, and by association the elevator\u2019s re-opening, was put on hold while the contractor, Connecticut-based Otis Elevator Company, waited on parts.<\/p>\n<p>Cara Shank, a spokesperson for Otis, attributed the delay to \u201cadministrative issues\u201d and declined to elaborate in a statement. She declined to directly address specific questions regarding which parts were delayed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cModernization is a comprehensive process that replaces aging equipment and updates key systems to improve reliability and long-term performance. Because it involves significant upgrades rather than regular repairs, the work can take longer,\u201d Shank said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/DA_MtLebElevator-Dufalla-6.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1337767\"\/>A man walks at Mt. Lebanon Station on Sept. 17. (Photo by Danny Arensberg\/Pittsburgh&#8217;s Public Source)<\/p>\n<p>Avolio said in an email that the \u201cadministrative issue\u201d involved reviewing insurance coverage and updating the scope of the work.<\/p>\n<p>Avolio said Otis received the delayed parts in August. After receiving approval from Pittsburgh Regional Transit to use its station area, the company started the modernization work in September. Avolio said the municipality aims to complete the work in early December.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis was a major project here. It wasn\u2019t like we were waiting on one switch or something singular. It was an entire project package,\u201d Avolio said.<\/p>\n<p>Supply chain <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newyorkfed.org\/research\/policy\/gscpi#\/overview\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">issues<\/a> for the past half-decade, caused by a mix of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/interactive\/2021\/12\/05\/business\/economy\/supply-chain.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">pandemic-era stresses<\/a>, global <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oxfordcollegeofprocurementandsupply.com\/how-the-iran-conflict-is-disrupting-global-supply-chains\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">conflict<\/a> and shifting domestic <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thomsonreuters.com\/en\/institute\/articles\/tariffs-stressing-manufacturers-supply-chains\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">trade policies<\/a>, have been a persistent problem for manufacturers. The elevator industry is no exception.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Paul Ryan, business manager of Greentree-based International Union of Elevator Constructors Local 6, said that the elevator industry has had particular issues securing solid state boards, a form of electrical operating boards. Surging artificial intelligence and electric vehicle demand, coupled with labor shortages, have led to extended manufacturing lead times and segmentation of the electronic components industry, according to a <a href=\"https:\/\/sourceability.com\/post\/how-to-source-hard-to-find-electronic-components-during-shortages\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">report<\/a> from market research firm Sourceability.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have had some issues getting materials, that is true. Not that bad though. It should not have taken that long,\u201d Ryan said, adding that he wasn\u2019t familiar with the project\u2019s specifics or \u201cextenuating circumstances.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Until the elevator is up-and-running again, Szafranski said she\u2019ll have to continue using the stairs or hiking up Shady Drive.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m not the only one experiencing it. Elderly people, other disabled people \u2014 it\u2019s not about fairness, it\u2019s about equity,\u201d she said. \u201cWhy did it take so long?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Lucas Dufalla is the Southern Communities Reporter at Pittsburgh\u2019s Public Source and can be reached at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.publicsource.org\/mt-lebanon-station-elevator-out-of-service\/mailto:lucas@publicsource.org\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">lucas@publicsource.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>This story was fact-checked by Danny Arensberg.<\/p>\n<p>This &lt;a target=&#8221;_blank&#8221; href=&#8221;https:\/\/www.publicsource.org\/mt-lebanon-station-elevator-out-of-service\/&#8221;&gt;article&lt;\/a&gt; first appeared on &lt;a target=&#8221;_blank&#8221; href=&#8221;https:\/\/www.publicsource.org&#8221;&gt;Pittsburgh&#8217;s Public Source&lt;\/a&gt; and is republished here under a &lt;a target=&#8221;_blank&#8221; href=&#8221;https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nd\/4.0\/&#8221;&gt;Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License&lt;\/a&gt;.&lt;img src=&#8221;https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.publicsource.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/cropped-ps_circle_favicon_blue.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;amp;ssl=1&#8243; style=&#8221;width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;&#8221;&gt;<\/p>\n<p>&lt;img id=&#8221;republication-tracker-tool-source&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.publicsource.org\/?republication-pixel=true&amp;post=1337758&amp;amp;ga4=G-CCLXQK5C14&#8243; style=&#8221;width:1px;height:1px;&#8221;&gt;&lt;script&gt; PARSELY = { autotrack: false, onload: function() { PARSELY.beacon.trackPageView({ url: &#8220;https:\/\/www.publicsource.org\/mt-lebanon-station-elevator-out-of-service\/&#8221;, urlref: window.location.href }); } } &lt;\/script&gt; &lt;script id=&#8221;parsely-cfg&#8221; src=&#8221;\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/publicsource.org\/p.js&#8221;&gt;&lt;\/script&gt;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"by Lucas Dufalla, Pittsburgh&#8217;s Public Source September 30, 2026 Last summer, Laura Szafranski boarded the Red Line trolley&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":297520,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[73,75,74],"class_list":["post-297519","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-pittsburgh","tag-pittsburgh","tag-pittsburgh-headlines","tag-pittsburgh-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/297519","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=297519"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/297519\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/297520"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=297519"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=297519"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=297519"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}