Riverdale residents report elevator outages after Con Ed cuts voltage during repairs

Con Edison reduced voltage by 8 percent in greater Riverdale Aug. 7 so crews could repair equipment — a move that, while necessary, led to dozens of residents claiming they lost elevator access, some for more than three days.

An Aug. 7 news release from Con Ed asked 39,600 residents — including many in Riverdale, Marble Hill, Kingsbridge and Van Cortlandt Park — to conserve energy while repairs were made, in order to protect equipment and maintain service. This meant not using energy-intensive appliances such as washers, dryers and microwaves.

A spokesperson for Con Ed said the reduced voltage started at about 3:30 p.m. Aug. 7, and was fully terminated by 5 p.m. Aug. 9. But the 8 percent reduction only lasted about 24 hours, the spokesperson said, at which point it was lowered to 5 percent — a level at which there is not much customer impact.

At 750 Kappock St., superintendent Mike Kelly told The Press the building lost elevator service for more than two days until Kelly bought a $7,000 generator and hired his own electrician.

The 14-story building’s elevator motors have a “loss of voltage sensor,” he said. When voltage drops below the required threshold, the sensor shuts the elevator down as a safety function for passengers and to preserve the elevator motor.

On the afternoon of Aug. 7, the elevators shut down mid-flight with residents inside, Kelly said. He got the residents out without any issues or injuries. Still, the building has more than 40 apartments where older adults or residents with mobility issues live, and Kelly feared for the safety of these residents taking the stairs in extreme heat. He also worried about the potential of an emergency situation where emergency personnel’s response times would be delayed by taking the stairs. 

Kelly said he bought the generator because he did not have a timeline from Con Ed on when the voltage would be restored, despite reaching out numerous times. Without answers, he said, it “leaves us no choice but to fend for ourselves and make sure the safety of our residents is a priority.”

Kelly called on Con Ed for better communication in the future, and tangible steps for customers to take the next time amenities are impacted by voltage reduction.

“We are appreciative of Con Ed’s workers’ efforts,” Kelly said. “I’m not bashing the workers by any means. The lack of communication is not their fault … More so the point is what are we doing to avoid this situation in the future.”

Miriam Gomez, a 75-year-old resident at 750 Kappock St. with multiple sclerosis, said she struggled staying inside her apartment, as she usually swims to maintain her physical well-being.

“I go to the pool so I can move my legs,” Gomez said, and days without that movement are “horrible.”

Other older adults lamented the outages for similar reasons.

Lonnie Elson, 71, lives on the third floor of a building on Oxford Avenue and West 236th Street. Elson uses a cane due to a kneecap injury, and told The Press he cannot walk down steps. He added for himself and other older adults in the area, elevators are a “lifeline.”

“I’m stuck until this is pretty much taken care of,” Elson said.

Elson’s building also attributed its elevator issue to Con Ed reducing voltage. The property manager sent a letter Aug. 10 to Elson and other residents, stating an elevator repair company was on site to assess the situation. The elevator was repaired by around 2:30 p.m. Aug. 10.

According to residents who reached out to The Press or posted on social media, elevator issues also occurred at buildings on Albany Crescent, Independence Avenue, Arlington Avenue, Johnson Avenue, Henry Hudson Parkway and Hudson Manor Terrace.

In response to the claim of lack of communication, a Con Ed spokesperson pointed to a few measures the company takes.

Con Ed proactively reaches out to customers who are registered with Life Support Equipment, Medical Emergency and Critical Facilities programs, and also distributes press releases to elected officials, posts online and coordinates with the city’s emergency management.

Older equipment is more sensitive to voltage reductions than newer equipment, the spokesperson said. Customers with newer equipment often don’t notice the voltage reduction, according to the spokesperson.

“Voltage reduction is a proactive step Con Edison takes to keep the system reliable by taking strains off parts of the grid that are experiencing stress,” a spokesperson said in a statement to The Press. “Decisions are driven by real-time engineering assessments, projected loads, available equipment and network conditions.”