Report From RIOC President Charlene Indelicato - Roosevelt Island Tram Station Elevator Fixed, Preparing For New Library At 504 Main Street, Bike NY Coming, New Playground, Fall For Arts Festival, PSD/RIYP Soccer Partnership, No Vehicle Idling & More

 Image of RIOC President Charlene Indelicato From RIOC

Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) President Charlene Indelicato sends the following report to the community.

Fall has officially arrived, and as we all settle into the rhythms of work and school, there are many projects and new developments taking place in our Island community. Excitement for the newly opened playground at Blackwell Park helped make the opening a great success, and enthusiasm is building for Bike New York’s new classes at Sportspark, as well as the upcoming Fall for Arts Festival.

Manhattan Tram Station Elevator

A few weeks ago, we received complaints that the elevator had been out of service at the Manhattan Tram Station. We’re pleased to report that maintenance has been performed and the elevator has been up and running without an issue since then. In addition, a new gate was installed at the entrance to the elevator last Tuesday September 24, for safety purposes. The gate will be closed from 2 a.m. until 5 a.m. nightly to prevent possible damage.

Motorgate Parking Structure Project Update

Renovations are proceeding quickly at Motorgate: Currently work is taking place in section 4B North and will be moving on to section 5B North within the coming week. We remind you to use caution while driving through the garage, to be aware of traffic diversions and follow directional signage. Sign up for advisories at http://rioc.ny.gov or look for information posted at Motorgate for updates.

Renovations at 504 Main Street

Down the road at 504 Main Street, work is continuing at a good pace. The space is being completely renovated, cleaned and prepared to be turned over to the New York Public Library in Spring 2014. The Roosevelt Island Public Library will be moving to the new location, which has twice the space, next year.

Grand Opening of New Children’s Playground at Blackwell Park

Thursday, September 19 marked the grand opening of the new children’s playground at Blackwell Park. Fay Christian of the RIOC Board of Directors presided at the event, with president of RIRA Ellen Polivy also speaking to the crowd before proceeding to the ribbon-cutting. Sarah Willard of Hudson Companies, Fay Christian and Howard Polivy, Ellen Polivy and Louis Schwartz of Monadnock Construction cut the ribbon before the excited crowd of children rushed onto the playground to have fun. Many thanks go out to everyone who helped make this wonderful new addition to the Roosevelt Island’s recreational space possible. Photos from the event are available on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/RIOCny.

Bike New York Classes Commence

Starting today, Bike New York will begin offering free classes and workshops at Sportspark (250 Main Street) during the weekends for kids and adults. Two Learn to Ride – Adults classes will take place on September 28th, followed by a Learn to Ride – Kids class on Saturday, October 5th and another Learn to Ride – Kids class on Sunday, October 13th. Bicycles can be provided for adults, teens and pre-teens age 10 and up; bring your own bike to the Learn to Ride – Kids class.
Bike New York’s schedule for Learn to Ride – Adult classes are available at http://www.bikenewyork.org/learn/adults/learn-to-ride/
and the schedule for Learn to Ride – Kids is available at http://www.bikenewyork.org/ learn/kids/learn-to-ride-kids/ .
We hope that you’ll come out and take advantage of this fantastic community resource.

Fall For Arts Festival

Save the date! Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation, in partnership with Gallery RIVAA, is proud to present the eighth annual Fall for Arts Festival. The Festival will take place from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Saturday, October 5th at Southpoint Park and on the lawn south of Rivercross. The Island’s much-loved tradition includes face painting, stiltwalkers, live outdoor mural painting, food, music, and free interactive art workshops for all ages! Mark your calendars and come on out to the Park for a lively day with the community.

PSD and the R.I. Youth Program

The partnership between the Public Safety Department and the Roosevelt Island Youth Program has continued with great success. The team meets weekly for soccer practice and to play matches coached by Officer Martinez and Interim PSD Director Jack McManus. We have played two games so far and, judging by the smiles on the kids’ faces, everyone had a good time. Public Safety will continue to be a part of the team through the playoffs in November. We wish good luck to them as well as all the local soccer teams throughout the season.

Idling Prohibited on Roosevelt Island

RIOC and the Public Safety Department would like to issue a reminder to drivers that idling is illegal and very harmful to our environment. NYC Administrative Code states that “No person shall cause or permit the engine of a motor vehicle, other than a legally authorized emergency motor vehicle, to idle for longer than three minutes...” with an exception: the time limit is one minute if the vehicle is adjacent to a school. PSD will be issuing citations to drivers found to be in violation of the law, so please turn off your engine while you’re on the side of the road and help us reduce pollution on Roosevelt Island.