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The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) plans to replace all three entrance escalators at Bethesda Station under a proposed six-year capital improvement program, WMATA General Manager and Chief Executive Officer Richard Sarles said in a prepared statement. The program covers fiscal years 2013 to 2018.

Sarles recently told the Greater Bethesda-Chevy Chase Chamber of Commerce that the escalator work will be included in a program he plans to present to the agency’s board in fall.

“While this project needs to be supported by our funding jurisdictions and the board, I am confident that they share my interest in improving escalator reliability,” he said. “We can’t keep doing Band-Aid repairs and hope they will last.”

Under a proposed schedule, WMATA would begin the project in early 2014. About 23,000 people use Bethesda Station daily.

WMATA is in the process of replacing three escalators at Foggy Bottom station. Other escalator replacements are planned for the Pentagon and Dupont Circle stations.