NY Post Reports On Wild, Swinging Roosevelt Island Tram Cabin, Overcrowding And Long Lines, Does RIOC Keep Metrics On These Incidents? Line Monitors And Dynamic Pricing Suggested As Possible Ideas To Consider

My Main Way Of Getting To Work Is Now A Terrifying Nightmarehttps://t.co/gkQpml7RmK

— Chris Klemmer (@ChrisKlemmer) November 9, 2023

Reported repeatedly over the last couple of months: 

Roosevelt Island Tram Cabin Swinging Wildly While Suspended In Air Again Today, "Everyone Super Scared" Reports Resident - NYC Council Member Julie Menin Asks RIOC President To Review Incidents, RIOC President Replies "No Imminent Threat To The Health And Safety Of Our Passengers"

Last evening at about 6:30 PM, the Roosevelt Island Tram again began rocking and rolling on it's way back from Manhattan as it was nearing the Roosevelt Island station.

According to an observer:

I'm seeing another swinger.

Another person noted:

This can traumatize people. If this happened to me, I would get really bad anxiety.

The NY Post picked up the story yesterday about the swinging Roosevelt Island Tram, overcrowded cabins and long lines.

Roosevelt Island tram has wild swinging moments: ‘Very scary’ https://t.co/GKMaw6V8Hp pic.twitter.com/Qet9JKrqlh

— New York Post (@nypost) November 9, 2023

According to the NY Post article:

... Residents of enclave are getting fed up.

“Transit as a whole is a huge issue on the island right now and the swaying is a huge part of it,” Community Board 8 member Paul Krikler told The Post....

As reported October 25, responding to NYC Council Member Julie Menin's letter inquiring about the swinging tram cabins, Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) President Shelton Haynes answered:

... The POMA Management team stated, “This tram undergoes very frequent inspections by the state to ensure code compliance, as well as many third-party inspections to ensure the highest of passenger safety. The Roosevelt Island Tramway has an excellent track record with most months reporting a 100% availability record, with overall availability at over 99.93% since the 2010 replacement. No injuries have been reported as a result of a tram malfunction to date. We take pride in this amazing machine and can assure you that the tram responded appropriately.”

Additionally, POMA informed RIOC that the issues you mentioned relate to a communications system message that can appear randomly and requires an employee to confirm the message. When this message appears and awaits acknowledgment from an employee, the Tram will stop, causing it to sway if it is already in operation.

They have emphasized that there is no imminent threat to the health and safety of our passengers. We are actively working with POMA, to address the communication systems messaging issue. Once it is resolved, we will send out an update to the public.

We would like to reemphasize that the Roosevelt Island Tram is a safe and functional mode of transportation...

On October 26, I asked Mr Haynes:

... It appears that the Tram stopping and swinging in mid air is happening much more than in the past.

Why is that?

Does RIOC keep metrics on how often this happens and has there been a recent increase in occurrences?

If you do have metrics, please send them over so I can include them in the story.

If you don't keep metrics, why not?...

No response from Mr Haynes.

Roosevelt Island Historical Society President Judy Berdy shares this message sent to Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) President Shelton Haynes and RIOC Board Directors following the October 19 Community Board 8 Roosevelt Island committee meeting discussion of transportation issues.

After listening to our neighbors discuss the tram crowding tonight, here are my thoughts:

Line monitors are a great idea. We use it at elections where they keep order in the line and let seniors/disabled go ahead. Someone in a bright vest can be an obvious choice. It can be a diplomatic, pleasant, patient person who can gently keep order.

Poma staff are better at customer service and putting up signs is only part of their job. Give them funding to have more staff on hand to deal with the turnstiles. It is exhausting to spend a shift dealing with unruly crowds. Let's keep order on-line, before the turnstiles, and a limit on 100 persons on the platform.

PSD can be at the base of the staircase to prevent staircase lines.

The tram is being denied staffing, security and customer service. RIOC should let the tram staff manage the platform and fund extra staffing.

We need large obvious signs that seats are for senior disabled only. Signs above seats on cabins and above bench on Manhattan platform.

We love our visitors most of whom tell us how great the island is. Take a look at any of the attractions below and we know that there is organization at these attractions.

Remember, many of them stand on long organized lines for the following.

FOR COMPARISON, PRICES FOR A VIEW:

ONE VANDERBILT $42

EMPIRE STATE 44

EDGE

36 TOP OF THE ROCK 34

AND WE ONLY CHARGE $2.90!!!!!

Let's get our act together and get a calm organized tram ride.

I asked Ms Berdy, Mr Haynes and the RIOC Board Directors:

Perhaps Rioc/Poma can formulate a dynamic price charging system for those using the Tram as a tourist/amusement attraction with prices closer to the Empire State Building and the other attractions ($34-42) while keeping the MTA’s $2.90 commuter fare for those using the Tram for transportation purposes. At least study the concept to see if it is possible to implement?

RIOC Board Director Ben Fhala replied:

You both have fantastic ideas. I find it odd to stuff 100+ people on a car, and it's questionable whether tourists would enjoy that experience.

From my brief introduction to RIOC, government processes move slowly, and RIOC can be even slower, especially when they disagree with board members and actively obstruct them. However, I lack the complete legal perspective, and I believe this should be discussed in a committee as an open conversation involving the public and our legal team.

With an advertising background, I understand that to promote a product like the Tram effectively, we need to define its main mission and target users, potentially tailoring packages for different user groups (while complying to all contracts and laws). I value tourists and believe the island can benefit more from their visits.

I've been advocating for a public/private venture where the tram ride becomes part of a package tour in collaboration with non-profits such as the historical society and local businesses. The details are complex due to legal requirements and as such I've waited for a more engaged executive/board and after the subway work completes as this seems like a possible longer-term solution.

I appreciate your innovative ideas, such as offering dedicated sightseeing rides with limited capacity, premium pricing, and local adventure elements. However, until committee work resumes and there's more engagement with the executive staff and board leadership, it's challenging to make progress or provide further feedback.

I genuinely appreciate your thoughtful and innovative ideas and hope we can have an honest conversation about them with the team in the near future.

PS I've added our legal team for their awareness, as this isn't an item the communications department can address without their guidance.

Thanks,

Ben Fhala*

Resident Board Member

*Disclaimer: All statements made by Ben Fhala are made in his capacity as a RIOC Resident Board member. He does not represent the entirety of RIOC or the full board but serves as a Resident Board member, offering information to the community and its stakeholders.

A Roosevelt Island resident who prefers to not be named shares these thought on the Tram:

A thought from a 40-year resident, former Tram champion / advocate, who is presently not just afraid to take the Tram for cable/tower safety reasons which RIOC seems unconcerned about — but also afraid, for a year now, of the ridiculous overcrowding of cabins to accommodate tourists & visitors and the total disrespect for the RI resident & employee community for who the Tram is still their Public Transit & not an amusement park ride...

... Will it take another emergency stop w severe swinging where someone falls & ends up with a head injury — or worse, though it’s hard to imagine something worse — in mid-air.

At what point are RIOC & POMA liable for negligence?

UPDATE 7:00 PM: Roosevelt Island humorist Weird Roosevelt Island adds:

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