Ferry Service for Roosevelt Island - Not so Fast!

Do you remember the Where's Waldo picture book series? The book's challenge was to find the picture of the cartoon figure Waldo hidden amid a crowded page of images showing tiny people doing amusing things. Similarly, can you figure out what is wrong with this NY Times article describing New York City's search for a company to operate a ferry service between Roosevelt Island and Manhattan.

From the NY Times:

The City; FERRY SERVICE SOUGHT FOR ROOSEVELT ISLAND

New York City will seek a private company to operate an East River ferry service between Roosevelt Island and Manhattan to supplement the tramway service, Deputy Mayor Nathan Leventhal said yesterday.

Mr.Leventhal said there had been inquiries from five private concerns interested in operating such a service at no cost to the city.

He said the city hoped to have the ferries operating by mid-spring. The fare would be between $1 and $1.25, compared with the 60-cent tram fare, one official said. Roosevelt Island residents have been without the tram since Dec. 19, when a cable snapped.

It was learned that an engineering concern investigating three breakdowns of the tramway in a month had attributed them largely to the lack of proper maintenance by the operator. The report emphasized that the tramway itself had not been found unsafe.

Confused by this story? Did you figure out what the catch is? The answer is that the story was published and describes events from February 5, 1981, more than 26 years ago.
Same story, same problems, same inaction!
Image is of the North River ferries of the Pennsylvania Railroad from New York Ferries at the World Ship Society. More modern ferries here. Also, New York City Department of Transportation ferry information page.