RIOC Board Of Directors Meeting Thursday September 14, Roosevelt Island Residents Encouraged To Come Speak Up About Transportation Problems With Overcrowded Tram, Red Bus And Subway Shuttle - What Say You?

The Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Board of Directors will meet in person tomorrow, September 14 at 5:30 PM in the Cultural Center Theatre (548 Main Street) beginning at 5:30 PM.

You're invited to attend,  ask questions and share concerns about Roosevelt Island during the opening Public Session before the start of the meeting. Sign up to speak here.

Will Roosevelt Island residents show up tomorrow to  speak at the Public Session about the transportation problems being experienced resulting from the MTA's 63rd Street Tunnel Rehab Project?

Roosevelt Island Tram was very crowded this afternoon The operator was very good with instructions to move inside and give up seat for seniors, disabled and others who might need it. A rider got up from bench to allow a man with a cane to sit without incident. No PSD around. pic.twitter.com/bG8CYLCTkf

— Roosevelt Islander (@Rooseveltisland) September 14, 2023

Residents have been contacting RIOC, elected officials, local press and formed a What's App chat group seeking solutions to overcrowding at the Tram and problems with the Subway Shuttle. For example, long time Roosevelt Island resident Akiko Tamura wrote to the RIOC Directors:

Dear RIOC members,

It has been exactly one week since I last wrote to you, expressing my concern about the safety of the tramway. In my previous email, I recommended that the Public Safety Officers be standing at the boarding area instead of outside the turnstiles to help organize and navigate the crowd. I also suggested that the tram operators make an announcement reminding people to give up their seats for those who need them. Additionally, I recommended that a sign be put up to remind tourists that Roosevelt Island is home to 12000 residents, and to ask them to behave respectfully.

However, I took the tram today and found that nothing had changed. The situation was just as chaotic as before, if not worse. People were pushing each other, tourists were rushing to grab seats, and neither the PSD nor the tram operators seemed to be paying much attention.

Just the other day, a resident reported that someone made a racial remark to her when she refused to allow a tourist to push her aside and take a video on board. She reported the incident to the PSD, but her complaint was dismissed.

As someone who has lived on Roosevelt Island for nearly 40 years, I can't help but feel that this is no longer a safe place to live. Simple crowd management by the PSD, making an announcement by the tram operator, and posting a sign is not difficult or costly task.

I hope to hear a better response from you than the last time.

Thank you in advance for your quick attention to this matter.

RIOC Director Ben Fhala wrote back:

I wanted to follow up with you regarding the points you made earlier. The board has been actively engaged with leadership and PSD, and we acknowledge ongoing efforts to improve the transportation process in recent weeks. Although there's room for further enhancement, significant progress has already been achieved.

Multiple residents have confirmed that when they requested assistance from PSD and staff, it was provided promptly. Additionally, I've received feedback from PSD officers and the public regarding instances where the team facilitated the boarding process for community members with special needs. We remain committed to refining the system and are actively collaborating with the community and stakeholders to make further improvements.

While I can't address specific scenarios here, residents are encouraged to reach out to us or PSD leadership if they wish to delve into particular cases or discuss guideline updates with PSD officers.

As a daily public transportation commuter, I've witnessed continual improvements. I recommend considering the subway shuttle, which is currently underutilized and offers a more pleasant ride. Unfortunately, the Tram's service has been less than ideal due to various temporary issues that we're working to mitigate. Encouraging more community members to utilize all modes of transportation, including the subway, ferry, bus services, and the Tram, is a crucial part of this mitigation effort.

I hope to see and engage with you in our upcoming board meeting scheduled for this Thursday at 5:30 pm at the Cultural Center Theater at 548 Main St.

Let's see if RIOC engages in a constructive manner with the community about solutions for our transportation problems.

Among the items on the agenda for tomorrow's RIOC Board meeting are: 

1. Ratification of the Memorandum of Understanding with the MTA for OMNY Installation (Board Action Required) ...

... VI. Chair’s Motion for Executive Session to Discuss:

a. proposed, pending or current litigation; and

b. the medical, financial, credit or employment history of a particular person or corporation, or matters leading to the appointment, employment, promotion, demotion, discipline, suspension, dismissal or removal of a particular person or corporation....

VII. Update on the Board Committees’ Assignments... 

Following the August 24, 2023 MTA press conference announcing the OMNY installation for the Roosevelt Island Tram, I asked the MTA:

What is the revenue allocation of the Tram fare between Rioc and the MTA?

My understanding is that Rioc currently receives approximately $2.00 of every swipe at the Tram. Has that changed with the installation of OMNY?

What is the new revenue allocation of the Tram fare?

A MTA spokesperson replied:

With OMNY, RIOC will get the benefit of the full value of fare revenue for pay go transactions. Currently, RIOC receives $2 for Full Fare and $1 for Reduced Fare when a customer utilizes MetroCard.

More info about the Roosevelt Island Tram OMNY installation in RIOC memo below.