Monday, April 18, 2011

No Late Night Queens Bound F Train Service From Manhattan to Roosevelt Island this Week or All Upcoming Weekend, Tram & Red Bus Service to be Added - How About Running 2 Weekend Tram Cabins on Regular Basis??

More late weeknight's without F train service to Roosevelt Island from Manhattan starting later today. The MTA is reporting that there will be no Queens bound F trains from Manhattan to Roosevelt Island starting at 11:00 PM - 5 AM beginning Monday April 18 through Friday, April 22  From the MTA:

 F Jamaica-bound trains are rerouted via the  M from 47-50 Sts to Queens Plaza

Nights, 11 PM to 5 AM, Mon to Fri, April 18 - Apr 22

...  For service to Roosevelt Island and 21 St-Queensbridge, take the  F to Roosevelt Av

and transfer to a Coney-Island bound F.

For service from 57 St, Lexington Av-63 St, Roosevelt Island and 21 St-Queensbridge,

take a Coney Island-bound  F to 47-50 Sts and transfer to a Jamaica-bound F .
There will also be no F train service to Roosevelt Island from Manhattan this coming weekend starting at 12 AM Saturday April 23- 5 AM Monday April 25.

As an alternative, since the F Train will be running on the M line, you can take the F to 53rd and Lexington. Then walk to the Tram on 2 Ave and 60th Street thereby avoiding the longer subway trip into Queens and back to Roosevelt Island.

The Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) will be adding additional Tram and Red Bus service during the upcoming F train subway disruption. According to RIOC:
... RIOC will provide 24-hour Tram and Red Bus service during the weekend of April 23rd to minimize the inconvenience to Island residents.

There will be 2 Trams running during the hours of 12 PM and 7 PM on Saturday and Sunday. At all other times that weekend, both Trams will run at 15 minute intervals.

During the week of April 18, Tram and Red Bus service will be extended until 5 AM....
Image From RIOC (Click to Enlarge)

Good for RIOC in responding to Roosevelt Island residents transportation concerns during this time.

Will RIOC respond to this concern as well? Have you noticed how crowded the one Roosevelt Island Tram cabin in operation on weekends is? I am told that even when the subway is running normally to and from Roosevelt Island on weekends, there are large crowds riding and waiting for the tram during certain prolonged periods of time. For instance, yesterday around 5:30 PM there were large crowds on the Manhattan Tram station waiting for the one Tram cabin in use to arrive

Image of Crowded Manhattan Tram Station Yesterday Afternoon

and another large crowd at the Roosevelt Island station waiting to make the trip back to the Manhattan Station. This was going on for most of Sunday afternoon.

Image of Crowded Roosevelt Island Tram Station Yesterday Afternoon

Due to the large crowds using the Roosevelt Island Tram on weekends, RIOC should consider running both cabins as they do during rush hours or at least on an as needed basis.

7 comments :

Anonymous said...

Perhaps the busiest days of the year will be this Thursday and Sunday. It is Chol Hamoed, the intermediate days of Passover. It is Easter weekend and Spring Break all combined into peak tourist week on the Island.

Every year thousands of Jewish families ride the tram and island to visit. We have had up to 9,000 tram riders on one of these Sundays.

I want the RIOC and tram staff to be aware of the extra visitors on Thursday, Friday and Sunday.

Also, the bus staff should be alerted that there will be lots of families and kids riding the buses.

The above are great reasons to have two cabins running all day since there will be no subway service.

Let's have the welcome out and make transportation easy for all.

Judith Berdy


The above has been sent to RIOC. Let' hope we have a great spring weekend.

Anonymous said...

Summer is here, the tourist are here, curious people wanting to see the new tram are here, an 13,000.00 residents live here...both Trams should be runing all weekened, every weekend during the Summer and Spring. We all know that, RIOC memebers that do not and are not required to live here do not know that. Out of sight, out of mind as they say.

If it cost so cheap to run the tram why all the cutbacks? Maybe they have cut back on Tram operators and payroll is my guess.

Also, I hope RIOC plans on cleaning up the nasty shower rooms and dressing areas of the Pool. I heard some of the ones that come here to play Tennis say on the Tram one day, they would not use the showers in at the Pool if someone paid them.

Yes, I agree, they need updating and a good bleaching to bring it into the new century.

Come on RIOC, have you taken a shower in there as of late?

Anonymous said...

I cannot believe the tin ear syndrome over at RIOC regarding the operation of our allegedly new and improved Tram -- Ms. Torres, Mr. Martinez, the resident members of the RIOC Board, and yes, our "higher" authority, DHCR, and contractor POMA.

WHAT does it take to get all these folks to understand that there should be two cabins running at all times -- or at least 7 days a week from 7 am to midnight ????

That photo above, and some other first-hand experiences should tell these folks that our Tram, for over 30 years is still a principal form of public transit for a large number of residents, employees and visitors, and we deserve to have decent, dependable, accessible transportation at nearly all times.

C-mon Leslie, Fernando, and gang -- get on the stick -- get on BOTH cabins all the time -- or at least when it matters most !!!!

Anonymous said...

I think I am missing something. Has anybody here outside rush hours ever not been able to get on a tram and had to wait for the next one because it was full? The tram runs just as frequently as it did before and it still picks up everybody who wants to take it. The only times when things get hairy is when the F train is not running and we are in the middle of rush hour.

The pictures don't tell much. Yes, the tram seems to be running at capacity and that is a good thing. Once they have to leave people behind frequently because they can't fit anymore then we may need to inquire about what the RIOC is going to do about that.

What are all these complains about? If you guys hate getting onto a crowded train, well, this is NYC and you better move somewhere else if it bothers you so much.

Anonymous said...

To Anonymous at 9:39 am -- Perhaps you have missed the point -- and frankly, we are not exactly complaining.

The population growth on RI -- a good thing -- has not been matched with a similar response in our public transit system -- a bad thing.

We have less Q 102 bus service -- which many of us actually use -- and the Island route was tampered with last year, so it is forcing more riders to and from Coler on our Red Buses, about which plenty has been written already.

We have somewhat decent F train service -- when it actually runs --but many of us cannot get on the F train at some morning rush hours at the RI station, letting 2 -3 trains go by till there is a molecule of space, or letting 2 or 3 trains go by when we are at 63rd and Lex for the afternoon rush and cannot get on...And just wait till the 2nd Avenue connector at 63rd Street is finally built and operational...

As for the Tram, it is still the first choice of many morning and afternoon commuters (and only choice for folks who cannot use the subway) and ANYONE who cannot figure out why two cabins are not running when they are needed the most should re-consider their beliefs on this...

Anonymous said...

I still don't understand why you guys want both cabins to be operated outside rush hours right now. There hasn't been a need. If it arises in the future the capacity will be there. Where is the need for two cabins? Has anybody been left stranded?

Anonymous said...

Both the single tram cabin and the Red Buses are running very tight schedules (I presume the new pick-up station at the kiosk is an attempt to save time spent on the new long roundabout). Common courtesy to wait for passengers(including those on buses arriving in the last minute and tourists trying to work the ticket machines)has become a "luxury" of the past.