Can Roosevelt Island Board of Directors Learn any Lessons From the Portland Tram

The RIOC Board of Directors is scheduled to meet later today (4:30 PM) to decide on the various proposed modifications to the Roosevelt Island Tram. Based upon viewing the webcast of the October 11, 2007 RIOC Board Operations committee meeting, one resident board member does not think the case has been made for extensive modifications to the Tram and the other resident Board member does not consider himself qualified to make an independent judgement so he will rely on the opinions of the RIOC staff. As the great philosopher and comedian Yakov Smirnoff once said "What a Country!"

I would hope that as part of the RIOC Board's decision making process they consider the experience of the recently completed Aerial Tramway for the City of Portland Oregon which opened to the public in January 2007. As the only other commuter tram system in the United States, the experience of building this new tramway system could have valuable information for the Board to consider prior to deciding on what to do with the Roosevelt Island Tram and possibly spending as much as $20 million and putting the Tram out of service for as many as seven months if not longer.

For comparison purposes here and here are blog discussions by a Portland City Commissioner about the contracting process for the the Portland tram. Among the findings for the Portland Tram are that:

The $57 million capital amount shown in the life cycle analysis includes all the costs for the design competition, engineering, city staff, OHSU staff, permits, owner furnished furniture, ticket machines etc....The 50-year life span was selected in consultation with Doppelmayr who is constructing the tram; Many trams in operation are over 50 years old.

It would be interesting to know what life span assumptions are being used for the Roosevelt Island Tram, do they differ with the Portland Tram assumptions and if so, why. Here is a link to the Portland Aerial Tram life cycle costs.

Here is the Portland Aerial Tram Project & Planning page that includes the Final Report and Recommendations, construction photos, project history etc. A very valuable resource.

The amount and transparency of information available on the Portland Tram to the citizens of Portland is admirable. If only the same could be said for the Roosevelt Island Tram.

The above video is of a trip on the Portland Aerial Tram.
The You Tube video link is here.