Broken Elevators Steam Disabled Straphangers

Local officials urged the MTA on Thursday to fix dozens of broken subway elevators, citing the chronic breakdowns at the W. 231 St. station in the Bronx as “Russian roulette” for disabled New Yorkers.

In an audit by the New York City Comptroller’s Office, at least 164 maintenance assignments were performed, but nearly 22 percent were completed late. Nearly 80 percent of the elevators and escalators did not receive scheduled or preventative maintenance assignments, according to the report.

Another report by the city Transit Center showed  only 23 percent of subway stations accommodating disabled New Yorkers. The W.  231 Street Station, one of the only ADA accessible subway stations in the Kingsbridge-Riverdale area was out of service nearly every other day in August, according to local officials.

“When this elevator breaks down, people are forced to significantly alter or even cancel their plans for the day,” said Bronx Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, who represents District 81.  “We need to both add new elevators at all subway stations and make sure our existing elevators are properly maintained.”

Straphangers are fed up with the wave of damaged facilities.

Dustin Jones, 29, of West Farms, who uses a wheelchair said when the elevator is broken he relies on strangers for help.

“It’s degrading,” said Jones, who is the founder of United for Equal Access New York, a disability advocacy group. “I ask strangers if they can carry my chair, while I hop up the stairs.”

Jones added, “If you don’t have a plan B, you are stuck. It’s frustrating.”

New York City Comptroller, Scott M. Stringer said disabled New Yorker all too often face a lack of ADA accessible service.

“When we allow elevators and escalators to break down, it means we aren’t being a City that’s truly open and accessible to all,” Stringer said. “Behind every broken machine and inaccessible station, there are New Yorkers who can’t travel. It has to change. ”

In a response memo, a New York City Transit  spokesperson said the agency has a “robust system” to track elevator defects and they are currently “investing” in efforts to improve the system.

Tell that to Sabrina Paton, 47, of Kingsbridge who said when the elevator is broken she spends hours to reroute.

“[The elevator] always seems to be out of order,” said Paton, a JFK security guard, who has an injured hip.  “A lot of elderly people live here and they need this elevator to be accessible and working.”

 “A lot of people are like me…I can’t do the stairs,” she added. “The MTA has to do better.”