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Metro is testing a new safety measure at Dulles International Airport, but travelers with luggage are mostly walking past it and boarding the escalators anyway.

A removable, 3-foot-tall bollard now stands beside safety signs in front of a bank of escalators leading out of the station. The signs tell riders not to bring luggage onto the escalators, while images on the bollard direct people with baby strollers, scooters and bicycles to use the elevator.

Metro said the trial is intended to encourage passengers carrying large suitcases to take the elevator, reducing trips and falls and improving safety for everyone.

During a roughly 15-minute period Friday night, however, nearly every traveler approaching the escalators ignored the bollard and signs and continued aboard with their bags.

Sophia Moran said she had not previously noticed the barrier and questioned whether the warnings were necessary.

“I guess if you’re responsible with your luggage and don’t have vertigo, you’re not going to fall down,” she joked.

Polo Morales also passed the safety equipment without seeing it. After it was pointed out, he said the signs were unlikely to deter many determined riders.

“Well, at least now I know I’m not supposed to, but if I was really determined they wouldn’t stop me,” he said.

Sam Daniels chose the elevator because she was carrying several large bags. She said the measure could help keep escalators clear, particularly during an emergency.

“What if there was an emergency and somebody needs to come down and there’s all these bags in the way?” she said.

Metro has not said how long the experiment will last or how many stations could eventually receive the bollards. Similar barriers are already used at other airports around the country.