Roosevelt Island On The Web Links

 Roosevelt Island on the Web Links as appearing in the February 12, 2011 Main Street WIRE.

Roosevelt Islander - RIRA Censorship Motion
Roosevelt Islander - RIRA Censored Committee Reports Leaked
RIRA Online - Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) website
You Tube - RIRA Common Council Discussion
Roosevelt Island School G&T Blog - PS/IS 217 February Calendar
WFUV Cityscape - Interview With Tram Operator
Remontees Mecaniques - Report On Roosevelt Island Tram
News LI- NYSERDA Grant For AVAC System
Cambridge Times - Considering Tram System
NY Daily News - Chief Brings Table Tennis Tournament To RI
You Tube - Roosevelt Island Table Tennis Tournament
You Tube - More Roosevelt Island Table Tennis Action
ABC Local - MTA Considering Tram like Sliding Doors For Subway Platform
NY Times - Legacy HS Student At MOMA Exhibit
City Hall News - Coler Goldwater Site May Be New Science/Engineering School
NY Daily News - Aspiring Cooper Union Student Leaves Blood On RI
Herald Palladium - RI Day Nursery Teacher Leads Kindie Rock Band
Apartment Therapy - Bernard's Roosevelt Island Apartment Tour
My Travel Guide - Visits Roosevelt Island Tram
Glark - Motorgate Atrium Top Picture
Kuriositas - Amazing World Tramways
DNA Info - Cheap Valentine's Date On Tram
Swindle Season - Romantic Valentine's Day On Tram
Guardian - Obit Of Spiderman Special Effects Artist Who Blew Up Tram Station
You Tube - RI Resident's Short Film On Egypt Revolt
You Tube - FDR Memorial Groundbreaking Ceremony
You Tube - Looking Down On Roosevelt Island Snowstorm -

No Major Health Code Violations At Roosevelt Island Restaurants - 4 Have Even Received Letter A Grade From Health Department - Others Not Yet Received Grade

Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Common Council Delegate from Southtown Dave Evans forwards this AMNY article on New York City Restaurant Health Inspections and notes that Roosevelt Island restaurants come out pretty good on the Health Inspection ratings regarding major health violations. Mr. Evans writes:

ROOSEVELT ISLAND RESTAURANTS ARE NOT THE WORST--AREA CODE 10044 RATED BEST?

While in attendance at a RIRA-Common Council Committee meeting, a colleague (I think it was Lynne) asked if I'd taken note of the NY Health Department's ratings posted in windows of some of our Roosevelt Island eateries.  Well, I checked out an  "am New York" article on 9 February and was duly impressed just as she was.  Look, we are better than many others in NYC, with eight of ours having ZERO, NADA major violations right alongside restaurants found in Battery Park.  OK, maybe there is aesthetic work to be done and this could happen with anticipated and hopefully forthcoming updates to Main Street businesses.  So, in the meantime, perhaps we shouldn't knock our on-Island eateries too much, just occasionally give 'em some business.

Click on image above to enlarge and note on chart near bottom of page that restaurants in zip code 10044 (Roosevelt Island) had zero major health code violations. Major health code violations are defined as having 16 or more points as determined by the Health Department.

To date, four Roosevelt Island restaurant have received Restaurant Inspection letter grades of A from the Health Department. They are the two Subway Restaurants, the Trellis Diner  and Starbucks. Nonnos, Riverwalk Bar & Grill, China One and Fuji East have not yet received a letter grade.

More on Roosevelt Island restaurant health inspections as well as an explanation as to how the restaurant letter grades are determined from this earlier post.

The most recent Roosevelt Island Restaurant Inspection Information Reports are here. Just plug in the 10044 zip code for results and explanations.

Meeting For Roosevelt Landings/Eastwood Section 8 Tenants Tonight 7 PM At Senior Center (546 Main Street)

 Image Of Roosevelt Landings/Eastwood

Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Common Council Delegate from Roosevelt Landings/Eastwood Joyce Mincheff reports that there will be a meeting for all of the Section 8 Tenants of Roosevelt Landings/Eastwood this evening, 7 PM at the Seniors Center (546 Main Street).

How Is The New Roosevelt Island Red Bus Route, Schedule and Tram Station Bus Stops Working Out? Were You Abandoned By Driver Inside Red Bus Last Weekend?

 Image Of New Tram Bus Stop On East Side Of Tram Station

The new Roosevelt Island 15 minute Red Bus Route loop and

 Image From RIOC

Tram Station Stops have been in effect for the last several weeks.

Image Of Tram Station Red Bus Stop By Visitors Center Kiosk

Based upon anecdotal conversations I have had with residents, for the most part people seem pleased with the new Tram Route and bus stops. One reader wrote:

... I have to say I think the new bus route is working out well.  The waiting spot on the west channel drive is pretty easy....

 The Red Bus schedule is posted here.

The Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) is seeking feedback from riders on the new Red Bus Route, Schedule and Tram Station Stops. RIRA has established this email address to receive your comments transportationfeedback@riraonline.com. You can also contact the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) directly with any thoughts you have on this subject, leave your comments on this post or do all three.

On another Red Bus matter, the Roosevelt Island Public Safety Report for 2/4 - 2/5 appeared to describe an incident in which a Red Bus Driver abandoned passengers inside the Red Bus:

Investigation- Bus driver left passengers inside bus, passenger was upset.

I have asked Public Safety Director Keith Guerra for more details as to what happened but have not received a reply yet. RIOC VP Of Operations Fernando Martinez has advised that he is looking into the matter.

Open Baby Strollers On Roosevelt Island Red Bus During Rush Hours - Necessity For Parents With Infants And Toddlers Or Hazard For Everyone Else?

 No Strollers On Red Bus During Rush Hour Flyer From 2007

It looks like another attempt is being made to reverse the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) policy of removing children from strollers and then folding the strollers before boarding the Red Bus during rush hours. This issue was addressed back in 2007 with RIOC concluding:

The prohibition against open strollers during rush hours only has apparently pitted one set of riders against the other. Everyone should realize that this rule is SOP on the MTA. My mail from adult users without children is highly supportive of the ban. I empathize with the stroller set. Rush hours seemed a reasonable compromise.

The Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) is getting behind the idea of allowing baby strollers on the Red Bus during rush hours. According to the Island Services Committee Report to the RIRA February Common Council Meeting:

Strollers on Red Bus during rush hours – Change RIOC policy so strollers are allowed on bus at all times. (Frank Farance is lead person.)

Commenting of this idea, a reader wrote:

What's with the desire to keep strollers unfolded during rush hours? I myself have three small children but I would never be so inconsiderate and bring a stroller into a crowded bus during rush hours. That thing has wheels and most likely came with a rain cover for bad weather. Walk it to the train/tram or home. No need to use up space on the bus and block the way.

How does the MTA handle strollers on New York City Buses? According to the MTA site explaining how to safely ride the bus:

When traveling with an infant and a baby stroller, the stroller should be folded before entering the bus and should remain folded for the duration of the trip.

Here's how Madison Wisconsin proposes to handle strollers on their buses.

You Tube Video Of Madison Wisconsin Bus Stroller Proposal

NYSERDA Funds Study To Elimate Garbage Trucks From Roosevelt Island - Seeks to Enhance AVAC System To Accomodate Commercial Waste And Recyclables

 Garbage Outside Riverwalk Building at 425 Main Street

Except for waste produced from commercial establishments and residential recyclables which are removed by garbage trucks, most of Roosevelt Island's garbage is taken away via the underground pneumatic tube system and collected at the AVAC (Automated Vacuum Assisted Collection) Facility.

Image of Roosevelt Island AVAC From Bridge and Tunnel Club

If a NYSERDA (New York State Energy Research and Development Authority) funded study is successful, then garbage trucks may be entirely banished from Roosevelt Island because the AVAC Facility will then be able to handle commercial waste and recyclables.

According to News LI:

University Transportation Research Center at CUNY (New York) seeks to enhance Roosevelt Island’s pneumatic garbage transport system (basically a giant, underground vacuum cleaner) so that it can also accommodate recycling and the disposal of commercial waste. If successful, the project could virtually eliminate truck garbage hauling on Roosevelt Island. NYSERDA funding: $50,000

More on Roosevelt Island's underground garbage collection system from previous posts and a video that shows how the AVAC system works, is maintained, occasionally breaks down, gets fixed and the search for items mistakenly thrown away into the tubes.

Nature Abhors a Vacuum from greg whitmore on Vimeo.

Super Bowl Sunday On Roosevelt Island, Go Pack Go - Aaron Rogers Is More Than Just Alright For Packer Cheeseheads

 Image Of Green Bay Packer Ice Bowl Touchdown Print From Wisconsin Made

If you're a football fan, particularly of the Green Bay Packers or Pittsburgh Steelers, today's the day you've been waiting for - Super Bowl Sunday! Being a Green Bay Packer fan, I can't wait for the game to start later today since I am expecting a victory and will be at Roosevelt Island's Riverwalk Bar & Grill to cheer on the Green & Gold.

Cheesehead TV blog, the best place for all things Green Bay Packers, is reporting the rumor that coach Mike McCarthy will show this video to Packer players before the start of the game.



The Packers will go as far as Quarterback Aaron Rogers takes them today. Although I used to love Brett Favre, Aaron Rogers is now the man for the Packers.

Here's a really good song and video from 2009 that shows how the Packers fortune has changed with the emergence of Rogers as a premiere Quarterback. Back then, we just lost Favre, had no defense and thought the coaching staff did not reach the level of even being decent. But at least Aaron Rogers seemed alright.

You Tube Video Of Aaron Rogers Seems Alright

GO PACK GO!!!!!!

UPDATE 2/9 - THE PACKERS WIN

Image Of Aaron Rogers & Clay Mathews Celebrating Super Bowl Win From Thomas P.M. Barnett

Interview With Roosevelt Island Tram Operators By Day And Night - They Like Their Job, The Views & Talking With Passengers

 Image of Roosevelt Island Tram Operator Greg Pavarati At The Controls

WFUV's Cityscape radio program featured interviews with people who work high above New York City including a window washer, helicopter traffic reporter and our very own Roosevelt Island Tram Operator Greg Pavarati.

Mr. Pavarati has been operating the Tram for 35 years, starting even before the Tram opened in 1976. Greg says it a real nice job, loves the view and talking with Roosevelt Island residents. During the interview Greg talks about marriage proposals on the tram, no births but several woman going into labor, bathroom facilities on the Tram, celebrity sightings and that the chance of getting stuck on the new Tram is really zero.

Here's the link to Mr. Pavarati's full interview on WFUV which starts at about the 8 minute mark.

Image Of Roosevelt Island Tram Operator Greg At The Tram's Grand Re-Opening

Last year, just before the Tram shut down for the Modernization Program, CNN interviewed Tram Operator Michael Finnan who described what it was like working the Tram's night shift.