Roosevelt Island Subway Escalator

I just got off the subway at Roosevelt Island to find that the Up escalator not working but the down escalator is. I am sure the MTA must have a reasonable explanation why when work is being done on one of two escalators the working escalator is taking passengers down to the station level while there is no Up escalator service from the station but would love to hear it. Is it possible to insure that when there is only one working escalator, it goes up from the subway station so that the many elderly and not so elderly subway passengers have the option to take the escalator up.