Hey Susan, RIOC President Rosenthal Answers Roosevelt Island Residents Questions On Power Plant Noise, Bus Shelters, Benches And Public WiFi At Tram Stations

Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) President Susan Rosenthal answers your questions in the July 17 installment of Hey Susan feature.

Hey, Susan! Do you have any information on the curious “zack zack zack” noise which appears to come from the power station, even in the middle of the night. There have been other inquiries on the Roosevelt Island blog so it’s possible you have already looked into this. Is there something you can do about this alarming and heart-pounding noise which sometimes even sounds like gunfire? Your help would be much appreciated.

Susan: Several people have investigated the noise complaint and the power station believes the noise is coming from a faulty compressor that is scheduled to be repaired by the end of this week. Good news!


Hey, Susan! What about more bus shelters around the Island, especially at the F Train and at the Youth Center?

Susan: We have built as many bus shelters as we can around the Island. Unfortunately, some locations simply can’t facilitate a bus shelter, or structure of any kind, due to clearance issues in confined spaces. One of those places is outside the Youth Center. There simply isn’t enough space in that location to build a structure that would provide any kind of shelter for our residents while they wait for the bus. We have looked at a variety of options of shelters, but none work for that particular area.

The bus stop at the F train is just as problematic. It’s already a cramped area for pedestrians and cars, so building a shelter at that location may cause a dangerous situation. For now, people use the overhang at the subway station and the lobby of the subway station itself as shelter during inclement weather.


Hey, Susan! What about more benches and Wi-Fi at both Tram Stations?

Susan: Both tram terminals are confined spaces that don’t really allow for additional seating. The loading area between the two cars gets very crowded while people wait for the tram. Placing benches in that area would make crowding even worse and create hazards for riders. Anyone looking for a seat before the tram arrives on the Roosevelt Island side can sit on the benches around the terminal area.

The congestion problem is even worse on the Manhattan side. Placing additional benches near the loading and unloading areas would also make for a dangerous situation. More seating will be available when the park reopens after the tram elevator construction is completed.

Our staff is reaching out to the MTA and LinkNYC to see if it might be possible for us to have Wi-Fi at both tram stations. It may be easier for us to utilize an existing network than to install one of our own.

More on the power plant noise from this previous post.