By Associated Press - Tuesday, January 14, 2020

WASHINGTON (AP) - Unsafe and filthy conditions at Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority parking garages have prompted changes in how the structures are cleaned.

Feces, bottles of urine, used condoms, overflowing trash and other unsanitary conditions were found at several Metrorail station garages, the transit authority’s Office of the Inspector General said in a summary of its report.

The transit authority spent $2.2 million on contracted cleaning services, according to the inspector general. The audit found that the employees weren’t doing their job properly 84% of the time.

The Metro system took action immediately after learning of the inspector general’s findings, spokeswoman Sherri Ly said in a statement, according to news outlets.

“All stairwells and landings have been pressure washed, and all garage decks will be pressure washed by the end of April, weather permitting,” the statement said.

The transit authority also plans to phase out contractors in favor of hiring custodial workers in-house, in order to better oversee the cleaning of the garages, according to the statement.

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