RIOC Board Says No To Temporary Roosevelt Island Morning Rush Hour Ferry Service During Tram Outage - Just Too Expensive

RIOC Officials Waving Goodbye To Roosevelt Island Temporary Ferry Service

The Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC) Board of Directors voted yesterday not to go forward on temporary ferry service for Roosevelt Island morning rush hours during the planned March - September Tram outage. The cost of approximately $1 million, which includes operating subsidies and temporary dock construction, was just too much for Directors to approve the temporary ferry despite all wishing for a permanent service.

During the Board meeting RIOC President Steve Shane reported that 800 of the 11-1200 regular users of the morning rush hour tram responded to the Temporary Ferry Service Survey. 400 of those 800 said they would use the temporary ferry to 35th Street and of those 400, 300 said they would pay the $3 fee. The fee would be in addition to any subway or bus fee because the MTA refused to allow the Metro Card to be used for the Ferry.

Since the NY Water Taxi Ferry operators would charge RIOC $4000 per day for operating the temporary ferry service during morning rush hours, a subsidy of $3100 a day would be required from RIOC in order to provide the service ($4,000 - 300 riders X $3 =$3100). All of the RIOC Directors, except for Jonathan Kalkin, decided that was just too expensive. Mr. Kalkin was the only RIOC Director to vote to approve the temporary ferry service.

So it looks like Roosevelt Island transportation options during the tram outage are the F Train, Red Bus, Q102 Bus, Memorial Sloan Kettering Bus Shuttle, automobile and feet.

Here is the February Board of Directors meeting webcast.