Can Roosevelt Island be Rescued as Effectively as this Portland Tram Test Rescue?

One of the many frustrations observing the process in which decisions are made for Roosevelt Islanders by the RIOC Board of Directors occurs when authoritative statements or assumptions asserted to be true are, in fact, untrue but there is no way for any non-Board member to correct these statements before actions are taken on these mistaken (one can also call them ignorant) notions. For instance, at last night's Board meeting one of the Directors who voted in favor of the winning and most expensive as well as time consuming plan stated that the Roosevelt Island tram was the only commuter tram in the nation.

Well, that is not true and anyone who has been reading this blog knows that there is a commuter tram operating in the City of Portland that opened to the public in January 2007. You would think that a Board member who is responsible for approving the authorization to spend tens of millions of public taxpayer dollars would be aware that a new commuter tram system is in operation in the United States and perhaps the RIOC Board could learn something from Portland's recent experience in building the system. Further, this statement was made while a representative from the expert consulting firm hired to advise RIOC was at the podium and he did not make any attempt to correct the false impression that the Roosevelt Island Tram was somehow alone in the United States as a commuter transportation system! Dopplemayr is even the manufacturer of both the Portland and Roosevelt Island Tram systems.

Also, the impression was given by these expert consultants, that the proposal which was eventually selected was the most advanced, modern and safe version of a tramway system because as the Main Street Wire reported

the two sides of the system would be separated, and they would be able to operate independently.

If that is the case then why is it that the Portland Tram, in operation for less than a year does not use this type of system where the cabins operate independently of each other. According to Portland Transport.com:

...the force required to lift one tram up the hill is counter-balanced by the tram coming down the hill -- both tram cabins are permanently linked. Thus, the weight of the tram cabins cancels and you are left only with friction and the weight differential between passenger loads.

If these people are wrong about simple statements of fact how can they be trusted with complicated engineering and budgetary issues?
There is a lot more to be said but it is late and I am tired.
You Tube link of practice Portland Tram Rescue is here.