Report From RIOC President Leslie Torres - Roosevelt Island Smart Parking, Bike Sharing, Proposed Budget, Young Adult Recreation At Sportspark, Tram Station Renovation, Fall For Arts & More
Image of DOT Bike Share Map (Roosevelt Island is in Red)
Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) President Lesie Torres sends the following report to Roosevelt Island residents.
I recently acted as a tour guide for a Wall Street Journal reporter who was writing about the retail redevelopment on the Island (btw: the article appeared in the September 30th issue of the paper in the Greater New York section). Aside from Main Street, I also got to show off some of the green and community initiatives on the Island. Updates on some of these are below.
Smart Parking
Last year, RIOC introduced an innovative pilot parking program in conjunction with Streetline and Digital Parking System which brought new “smart” parking spaces to the island. These spaces were outfitted with ultra-low power sensors that communicate with one another to deliver valuable real-time information, such as how long a car is parked and when a car enters and leaves a parking space. The spaces were also fitted with smart parking meters that allowed for easier payments and better pricing.
The success of the initial program has given us the incentive to expand the project. RIOC has issued an RFP for a contractor who will provide smart parking solutions, including an intelligent parking guidance and management system, for on-street metered parking spaces for nearly the entire island. This will include installation of occupancy sensors for 250-300 on-street parking spaces. With this new technology in place, residents and visitors will have more convenient way to find and access parking. The selection of the contractor will occur later this year and we will keep you informed as to the next phase of the project.
Bring Bike Sharing to Roosevelt Island
New York City Department of Transportation is launching a bike sharing program with Alta Bicycle Share in the summer of 2012. Bike share systems provide sturdy bikes at self-service docking stations around town. It’s a great new option that can make getting around a little easier. The system will have 10,000 bikes at over 600 stations, available 24/7 throughout the city. Users check a bike out using a membership or credit card, ride to a docking station near their destination and return the bike. Mobile apps show the status of available bikes and docking points at each station.
With its open spaces and iconic views, Roosevelt Island can be an ideal place for bike riding but in order to bring this program to the Island, we need your vote of approval. You can cast your vote to bring a bicycle share program to Roosevelt Island by clicking the following link.
Proposed Budget FY 2012/2013
The Proposed Budget FY 2012/2013 is now available on the RIOC website for public viewing. Go to the “Public Information” tab, “Financial Reports” and then “Budget Reports”.
Sportspark Young Adults Recreation Basketball League
We are so pleased to see so many participants for the Young Adult Weekend Recreation Hours at Sportspark that we expanded the program. A refereed basketball league began on Friday, September 23rd. Interested participants must be Roosevelt Island residents 16-25 years of age. In addition to the basketball, all registered participants will have free access to the open lounge (Netflix, Wii, computers & music), ping pong and the weight room.
For more information, Please call Othniel Maragh at (212) 832-4540 ext. 321 or othniel.maragh@rioc.ny.gov.
Tram Stations Renovation
The Tram Stations Renovation Project (phase 1) has begun. The phase 1 work scheduled to be completed by mid-December includes new bathrooms for the Roosevelt Station, station platform enclosures, new station concrete decking and concrete corrective work. Phase 2, schedule to start next spring includes an additional ADA elevator for the Manhattan Station and painting of both stations. Renovation work will be scheduled whereby at least one tram cabin should be running at all times.
Good Shepard Plaza Renovation Project
I wanted to give you just a quick update on the Good Shepard Plaza renovation project. While we have run into some unexpected delays with the contractor, work at the site continues at a steady pace with all the work expected to be completed by the end of the year. We will continue to keep you updated as this project moves forward.
6th Annual Fall Arts Festival
Don’t forget to come out and enjoy the 6th annual FREE Fall for Arts Festival that will take place on Saturday, October 15th from 11am- 4pm at the lawn south of Rivercross and Blackwell plaza.
The event will include an outdoor art gallery and interactive arts, crafts and cooking stations for adults. For children there will be an “Imagination Station” with storytelling and music by popular English-Spanish children’s musician Louie.
There will be an encore performance of Oedipus Rex, Saturday, at 2pm at the Roosevelt Landings Amphitheater, behind 536 Main Street and to cap off the festival, there will be an evening Latin jazz band concert and Latino poetry reading in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month at 6pm at the Child School Auditorium. I look forward to seeing you all there.
Other Upcoming Events
We have several events coming up:
Halloween Day Parade, Saturday, October 29th, 12pm Main Street
Tree Lighting Thursday, December 1st at 7pm Blackwell Plaza
15 comments :
Ms. Tores, why on a beautiful island as RI there is not Wildlife Department? Why during the demolishing of the grounds to make SP park and Four Freedoms park did they destroy and cover up Crane and Duck nests that have been there for years? Some Green Initiative you have there Ms. Tores and RIOC, you do not give a damn about any of the wildlife that has lived on this island for years. What will you do with the people that live here when you get tired of looking at them too? Ms. Polara of the 4 Freedoms park and your lot called RIOC and RIRA should all be ashamed of yourselves for not remembering all the animals that have called RI home for decades. How one treats animals sets the stage for how one will treat a child. You should at least hire a liason person to work with the parks dept of NYC. You had a grand chance to teach children about life, animals and the native wildlife to their home here on RI, and you blew it! Great job, Great job I must say. You are all heart!
mrs torres what do you have to say about affordable housing not being builded on this island . .as this island is becoming less and less black and hispanic .as this island was for people of all incomes and races, but now lets be very honest ,you see what is going on this island due to no more affordable housing .i like to know what you are doing about it. dont you have an opition about this.rioc is in bed with all the rich bulding owners ,they want this island to be white
all of bloombergs friends, the rich building owners
Did all of you know that there IS affordable housing in Southtown? Have you applied for it? Not everyone in Southtown is rich, he buildings may look new, but there are some folks living there that are on Medicare and disabitliy. I also know for a fact that there are rich people living in Northtown, they just abuse the system so they can have cheap rent. RI is just like all of NY, there are all types living here so the talk about " rich people" live in Southtown is old and boring. You really must learn about that of which you speak before talking.
Ms Torres never replies to anyone, nor does she EVER have anything to say to us commoners...RIOC is government workers here for their paycheck, nothing more.
when am i and others in eastwood going to get help with this sec 8 mess that, ron vass and the ebc put us in
yea, like ron vass who can well afford to pay the market rent for his apartment.but he got a deal of a life time ,while selling out the middle income working people in eastwood .ron shame on you .
its that time of year again .fall for arts .yes this is for the new people in southtown .before southtown there was never a fall for arts .
Last I checked, the island was more diverse than the national average, so, what are you talking about? Maybe I am misunderstanding your terrible grammar, but, affordable housing is all over the island and is a requirement (that has been met) by all the new buildings.
Would you shut the heck up about Ron Vass already.
Fall for Arts should be more about the children and art for them and teaching them about all th arts in the world! Music, painting, sculpting etc...
I am worried seeing too many of RI kids and young people out on the steets at night, some loitering around and looking to get into no good and trouble. There should be a curfew for kids under 16 I think as well! The art gallery should have art classes for kids in the evenings and there should be free music classes for kids at he church after school. Put a book, a paint brush, or an instrument in their hands...there will be no room for drugs, booze or guns if their hands are already full of art!
I know the RIOC Fri-Sat thing is a joke because i have been to Sportspark with 12 ping-pong people and 15 basketball players averaging about 15 a week, this whole project seems to have purpose we don't see but it's a joke.
Hey Barton, I have agreed with most of what you say, but I have to be honest here... Say what you want about RIOC's "No-Show" President - but the other people that work at RIOC - Do Work. I work nights, so I'm sround during the day. I see the RIOC workers mowing lawns, driving Sanitation Trucks, driving buses, operating the Tram, keeping the peace (PSD) and fixing things all over the island. RIOC may be "government" to you, but the workers of the "Public Corporation" work for the paychecks they get - the same as you & I.
the hardes working person on RIOC is the guy cutting all the grass and the guys picking up after lazy tourist that come over here and trash our home...we tolerate that as well. They should be fined and it should not be tolerated at all. I agree the guys that work outside do work hard.
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