Report From RIOC's President - Main Street Traffic, Little League Arrest Report, Amalgamated Bank, Southpoint Park, Red Bus & Other RI Issues

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RIOC President Steve Shane sends the following report to Roosevelt Island residents. Mr. Shane addresses issues on Southpoint Park, Amalgamated Bank takeover, Tram Turnaround Fountain, Bike Racks, Red Bus Schedule, Roosevelt Island Bridge Closure, Main Street Traffic, Public Safety Report on Little league arrest incident and other issues of concern to Roosevelt Island. The item regarding the Tram overhaul was written before the decision to postpone the September commencemt of the modernization project.

June 24, 2009

1. Board of Directors: Meeting was held at 9:30 AM on Thursday the 25th. As it was the last scheduled meeting of the Board for the traditional summer hiatus, an extensive agenda, reported on elsewhere in the WIRE was considered, including a number of required compliance reporting items, projects, the SEQRA required action on the FDR project and project approval for Phase I in accordance with the Conditional Designation Agreement.
2. Southpoint: As to the projects:
(A) Renwick Ruins: Stabilization work is complete and the entrances to the building are being gated to secure the interior and prevent trespassing.
(B) Green Rooms/Wild Gardens: The contractor is completing Phase 1 rough grading, paths and stone walls. An RFP for Phase 2 will be issued to complete the park, including finish grading, capping, utilities, fencing and planting.
(C) FDR Memorial: Assuming Board approval, RIOC has been in consultation with the State’s Division of the Budget and Parks Department and the City to work out funding mechanics for the $4 million State appropriation, the matching $4 million from the City and at least $8 million from FERI as necessary for Phase I.
3. Tram Overhaul: The schedule is for a September 8, 2009 shutdown and February 2010 reopening. Finalization is expected at this month’s progress meeting. Architectural work for the two stations proceeds with concept drawings posted.
4. Projects: Work is ongoing on many projects and others are being completed. Our engineering department is very busy! With the weather finally clearing, striping of Main Street is underway. With the thermoplastic application, should last much longer and be more visible.
5. Bank: Amalgamated Bank’s takeover should be approved at the Board meeting and the new operation will commence in July. Meanwhile, Amalgamated has been staffing a desk in NBNY to facilitate transfer of accounts.
6. Southtown Buildings 5 and 6 moving toward completion. Landscaping nearly complete, Tram turnaround fountain under construction.
7. Bicycles: The bike racks at the subway station and tram were cleared of derelict bikes so commuter bike space is again available in the racks. Anyone needing to park their bike overnight should register with Public Safety. Anyone’s bike removed by Public Safety may be reclaimed by going to Public Safety and making an identification within a week of its removal.
8. Red Bus: The joint experiment with RIRA in AM scheduling is ongoing through the first week of July to gauge the effect of school buses on Main Street when the summer session starts. The Octagon Local buses are scheduled to leave Octagon southbound at 8:55, 9:25, 9:55, 10:15, 10:35 and 10:55. Fire House Local buses will depart the Comfort Station southbound at 9:10 and 9:40. Buses arriving at the Tram before 10 will run continuously. A bus will meet the 10:00 Tram and each Tram thereafter before heading north. A 45 minute loop is built in to account for unpredictable events along the way. As the data are reviewed, we have expanded the experiment into the next earlier rush hour. We are going to meet with the MTA’s bus scheduling department to access their expertise.
9. Public Safety: While the unfortunate events of May 30 on the ballfield are now receding into history, I would like to make clear that the matter has been thoroughly investigated and vetted internally. To answer concerns about RIOC’s possible prejudice looking into its own actions, we have invited an independent member of the community, RIRA’s former head of its public safety committee, to conduct an outside review of the matter. RIRA, unfortunately, has declined this offer, citing the gentleman's former law enforcement officer status (thus being familiar with arrest procedures) resulting in his potential prejudice. RIRA prefers instead to have such inquiry undertaken by the present head of its public safety committee, who has no law enforcement experience and had recently been personally involved in a dispute involving a member of her family with Public Safety. RIOC has respectfully declined such a review.
10. Bridge Closures: The NYC Department of Transportation has notified us that the reconstruction work will require complete closure of the bridge to vehicular and pedestrian traffic for four (4) nights, being the mornings of July 7 through July 10 12:30 AM until 5:30 AM. As was previously done, EMS, police and fire responders will be present on the Island with additional manpower at the Queens end of the Bridge. The Tram and red bus will run throughout the night. If it rains, additional nights will be required. Hope for no emergencies and no rain.
11. Traffic Enforcement: Some residents have expressed dismay at violators of speed limits, yield to pedestrians in crosswalks, stop sign and other vehicular controls. While no significant incidents have occurred, congested Main Street with elderly, handicapped, children and a generally busy scene is a potentially hazardous situation. Obstructed views do not help. Public Safety does what it can, but our thin blue line cannot be everywhere at all times. RIOC has asked the security detail at the two hospitals to remind their employees that they share Main Street with Island residents. Too often, at shift change or when otherwise occupied, cars seem so anxious to depart the Island that the law is often observed more in the breach. Since most Public Safety officers are on foot, chasing violators is not easy. Stationing an officer at every crosswalk is not possible within the limitations of three shifts, duties other than traffic enforcement and budget priorities. Please note that the newer officers, who have not yet attained Special Patrolman Status from the NYPD Police Commissioner, can not issue summonses even when they observe infractions. That being said, in 2007 PSD officers wrote approximately 746 moving violation summonses and in 2008, that number increased to 890. In the 1st 5 months of 2009, PSD wrote 280, with the summer months still ahead when numbers typically go up. Approximately 25% of the summons were written for disobeying the Stop Signs and Yield to Pedestrians. The other 75% were written for U-Turns, Yield to School Busses, Driving on Sidewalk, Unsafe Passing and Driving while on the cell Phone. Statistics of summons issued indicate a trend to higher enforcement, or is it only because of greater flouting of the law? In any event, Public Safety will continue its efforts. If a violator may be identified by license plate and that information is conveyed to Public Safety, warnings can be given to the owner and awareness should be heightened.
12. Summer movies: Rain has shuffled the schedule, but Firefighter’s Field should dry out for Sunday evening the 28th. See our ad in this week’s WIRE for the rest of the summer.
13. Motorgate: As part of our ongoing audit efforts, we ask people to respond to the questionnaire in the WIRE as to your parking charges and issues, if any. Please help us to verify that the appropriate record keeping is being done. Any questions, please call our CFO Steve Chironis at 212-832-4540 x 350.

This message was also published as the RIOC column in the 6/27/09 Main Street WIRE.