Roosevelt Island Tram Modernization Project Awarded to POMAgalski

Roosevelt Island Tram image from J Blough

RIOC President Steve Shane informs us the RIOC Board of Directors has awarded the Roosevelt Island Tram Modernization Project to POMAgalski this morning.

More details to follow.

UPDATE: 11/10 - The Main Street WIRE (PDF File) has more on the RIOC Board approving the POMAgalski bid to modernize the Roosevelt Island Tram and the web cast of the meeting is available from RIOC.

According to the WIRE (page 1):

... But the vote was not unanimous. Dr. Kathie Grimm abstained after expressing concerns about receiving new information only the night before the meeting. Those materials included a letter from the competing bidder, Doppelmayr (who built and runs the Island’s current tramway) questioning aspects of the Poma bid. Fay Christian also abstained after arriving late, having missed much of the discussion. Those voting for the contract were Jonathan Kalkin, David Kraut, Charlee Miller, Patrick Stewart, and the state’s representative, who chaired the meeting in the absence of Deborah VanAmerongen, Commissioner of the state Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR).

Michael Shinozaki voted against accepting the bid after raising a series of questions that sought greater detail both on Poma’s history and on the dual-haul system as Poma has proposed it...

What should be the role of the RIOC Board in deciding important issues such as the Roosevelt Island Tram modernization? In the same WIRE article (page 8), RIOC President Steve Shane explains his view of issue:

... he considers it inappropriate for the RIOC Board to “micromanage” the tramway upgrade or the process of getting it done.

And RIOC Director David Kraut says:

... that non-expert RIOC Board members should trust RIOC’s consultants, and should trust RIOC staff to protect the community with a solid contract....