Any Suggestions For Cooling Down The Roosevelt Island Tram Cabins During Brutally Hot Days - RIOC Operations Committee Is Looking For Answers

Image Of Heat Exhaustion From AltaVista For Illustrative Purposes Only

Reported June 22:

Roosevelt Island resident Todd Williams sends in a suggestion for cooling down the Roosevelt Island Tram on brutally hot days:

Because it is dangerously hot in the tram on warmer days (in fact, I wouldn't be surprised if someone passes out on the tram one day), I have suggested to a couple of the operators and to one of the guys in the control station that they place some industrial strength fans at the tram station to blow air through the tram while it is stationary and people are waiting inside. This will help remove some stale air and keep people a little cooler before it takes off....

During the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) June 25 Operations Committee meeting (full audio webcast of meeting here), RIOC Director David Kraut asked RIOC VP of Operations Fernando Martinez what can be done to prevent passengers, particularly children and older people, from passing out from heat exhaustion on the Tram.

Mr. Martinez explained that when the Tram was redesigned, it was decided not to include air conditioning in the Cabins because of the added weight which would reduce the number of passengers permitted to ride in the Cabins and the time needed to charge the batteries.

Mr. Kraut said that now that we have a greater experience of the Tram Cabin heat problem, let's look for a solution to the problem. It might be some sort of fan or air conditioning system that RIOC was not aware of but perhaps other people might have the solution.

Mr. Martinez said the matter will be discussed with Tram Operator Poma.

Here's the discussion.



Yesterday, I sent the following question to Mr. Martinez:

...during recent Operations Committee meeting, subject of cooling the Tram Cabins during very hot weather was discussed. Have any plans been made for fans, air conditioning or any other method of cooling down the Tram Cabins during hot weather?

Will update when an answer is received.