As previously reported, during the Saturday August 26 ASK RIOC Directors community engagement session outside at Good Shepherd Plaza, Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Board Directors Lydia Tang and Ben Fhala told me:
... Seniors and disabled and families with young children get to cut the line on the Tram because they're special passengers. They can go up to the front of the line and get on the tram before the regular population .
... We heard that from PSD if you're a senior or if you're a person with young children just go to the front of the lines and let them know that. They should allow you to go through....
They also indicated a legal opinion was drafted by the RIOC General Counsel deeming it illegal to provide preferential boarding for Roosevelt island residents and workers on the Roosevelt Island Tram.
On August 29, I asked ROC President Shelton Haynes:
1- During an August 24 Roosevelt Islander Online interview
with RIOC Directors Lydia Tang and Ben Fhala, they report being told by
the RIOC Public Safety Department that elderly, disabled and families
with small kids will be allowed to skip any long line for the Roosevelt
Island Tram.
Is this policy currently in effect? If not, when will it be implemented?
How will this policy be implemented? Will they be given some sort of physical identity card or QR code on their phone?
2
- Please clarify RIOC's statement yesterday rejecting a separate Tram
line for residents/workers because RIOC lawyers deemed such a practice
to be an "“undue
or unreasonable preference or advantage” in violation of the Tram's
status as a "Common Carrier" under NY State law.
There was no analysis in the statement as to why RIOC concluded that a separate Tram line for residents would be an "“undue
or unreasonable preference or advantage".
... Proponents of a separate line for residents/workers would argue that the
Tram is an essential mode of transportation that has limited capacity.
The overcrowding by tourists causing long lines and waiting times
exacerbated by the current F train service disruption has a substantial
negative effect on the quality of life for residents and workers
including elderly, disabled, parents with strollers, students going to
school etc.
It is entirely “reasonable” for RIOC to permit preferential boarding on
the limited capacity Tram for residents who need the tram to pursue
their daily activities over tourists who are using the Tram as a
sightseeing amusement attraction.
Also, several residents have reported that at one time the Tram did give
priority to Roosevelt Island residents over tourists. Here's an excerpt
from May 29, 1976 NY Times article that proves it...
3- Nobody that I’m aware of is asking for a reduction in the Tram fare for
residents. That would do nothing to alleviate the long lines and
overcrowding. It’s a straw man argument. Why did RIOC choose to include that in the statement?
4
- Why did RIOC choose not to respond to my press inquiry yesterday
about the Tram Line legal opinion but instead sent out an email and
Social media statement with RIOC's response to my press inquiry?
I am happy to include RIOC's response in an upcoming article.
There was no response from RIOC.
On August 31, I followed up:
I'm following up on the August 29 email below.
As previously reported on Roosevelt Islander Online, RIOC Directors Lydia Tang and Ben Fhala were told by the Public Safety Department that that
Roosevelt Island residents who are elderly, disabled and parents with
young kids will be able to skip the Tram line and have priority
boarding.
With the Labor Day weekend coming up and expected tourists creating
long lines and waiting times at the Roosevelt Island Tram, please confirm:
Is this policy currently in effect?
If not, when will it be implemented?
How will this policy be implemented? Will they be given some sort of physical identity card or QR code on their phone?
Also, please clarify RIOC's August 28 statement rejecting a separate Tram line
for residents/workers because RIOC lawyers deemed such a practice to be
an "“undue
or unreasonable preference or advantage” in violation of the Tram's
status as a "Common Carrier" under NY State law.
These are issues of great importance to the Roosevelt Island community. Will RIOC provide an answer?
Still no answer from RIOC.
UPDATE 9/3 - From Roosevelt Islander Online Instagram page yesterday
Line for Roosevelt Island Tram at 2:45 stretching up 59th street. Overwhelmingly tourists. Am told takes about 15 minutes to get to the staircase. Platform and cabin jam packed. Tram workers and @rooseveltislandny PSD officers doing a good job managing the line. Am told line was not long earlier in the day before 2:30.
Elderly, disable and parents with strollers given priority to board crowded Roosevelt Island Tram using the elevator. Nobody else can use the elevator. Confirmed by PSD officer today.
Why do you refuse to talk with local residents about vital Roosevelt Island community issues and answer questions from local independent press as well as posting self congratulatory messages in Social Media?
I have
a lot of beautiful things from all around the world. Alot of handmade and unique items. My items
are unique and people love them because they're one of a kind. I sell a lot of Patchwork so no
one else has this design...
I spoke with Ms Marshall at the August 19 Roosevelt Island Disabled Association Flea Market.
Check out the Nu World Kultural Adornment fashions tomorrow and say Hi to Ms Marshall at the RIDA Flea Market.
The Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) sent out this notice tonight by email and social media:
Dear Roosevelt Island Community:
To help Roosevelt Island commuters during the difficult MTA Track Replacement Project, RIOC will begin providing a free Red Bus Shuttle to Queens Plaza during weekday morning rush hours starting Tuesday, September 5th.
Red Bus Shuttle service to Queens Plaza will run Monday to Friday from 7AM to 11AM. Shuttle bus pick-up will start at the Graduate Hotel and make all northbound Q102 stops to Capobianco Field.
More details are still to come, so continue to monitor your alerts and RIOC social media. Please note that regular Red Bus service may run on an adjusted schedule to accommodate the additional shuttle service (we are also currently down one bus for repairs).
Thank you!
-RIOC Transportation Department
According to a Roosevelt Island Tipster:
Are they kidding?
I can take the 102 to QUEENS PLAZA. There is a Roosevelt Island Q102 bus Monday - Friday —From 6 am to 9:45 am — every 8 to 10 minutes to Queens Plaza. And the numbers of folks waiting at 546 at 6:15 am has increased since Monday.
This is not enough. We need rush hour schedule all day on weekdays AND priority boarding for passengers with disabilities, passengers with strollers, and pregnant passengers. This is the only available transit option for people with mobility limitations while both F train station elevators are down!
Can you respond why you have parking privilages in the island when US RESIDENTS have no priority at the tram?
Run both trams everyday entire day. And for tourists why not we use one cabin for them and one for the residents?? There can be so many solutions yet nothing is being done.
Tram should run on rush hour schedule AT ALL TIMES, except for short maintenance periods, until the F train project is completed! With the influx of tourists, one cabin is simply not enough!
The tram should be running “rush hour” times continuously throughout the day during the track work.
Also,does the Tram need to run on a rush hour basis weekend mornings? Is it crowded between 7AM and 10AM?
Taking place on Roosevelt Island's Meditation Lawn on Saturday, September 23rd
from 10:00AM to 5:00PM, the 18th annual festival will feature eclectic live
painting of original murals, food vendors and more!
This year, there are 2 themes for artists to choose from: “Mythology” and
“Riverside Rhythms: A Day of Art Meditation and Nature”. Artists are invited
to offer their unique visions for these themes and how they might fit into the
unique beauty and community of our island.
After the festival, selected artworks will be displayed at Roosevelt Island’s
Motorgate Atrium Gallery.
Call For Artists!
Mural Artists: RIOC and RIVAA are looking for artists who will paint one of
many outdoor murals, 6 feet high by 8 feet wide, on the day of the festival.
How to Apply: Please submit to
submissions@rivaagallery.org
a sketch of your design, or any inquiries, along with a title and short
description of the concept and technical method, based on one of this year’s
themes. Sketches should be sized according to a 6x8 ratio and submitted via a
JPG (preferred) or PDF file. Submission does not guarantee selection.
Deadline: Friday, September 8th
Participation in this event is FREE. Basic acrylic and spray paints, brushes,
and a primed mural surface are provided. Artists may also bring their own
brushes, paints, and supplies for use. Work can also be glued on to the 6x8
panels but cannot have any 3D elements added. Once complete, murals will stay
on display outdoors for several weeks.
We welcome your participation and creativity. Good luck!
Free kids' tennis classes - For girls and boys ages 4 to 8**
Get in the game – and love it – at Advantage Jr Tennis Kids Days! Our program offers kids’ tennis that’s customized by age and ability-and fun from day one!
See our proven teaching method first-hand
Begin enjoying the sport of a lifetime
Use our equipment—even smaller-sized racquets for smaller players
No experience needed
Meet the pros and directors
Consult with your child's tennis development
*Free class and savings offers available only for new Advantage QuickStart customers only. Limit one class per person.
**Ages 2-4 and 9+ welcome at select locations, please consult age parameters per location
Recently appointed members of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Board
of Directors Lydia Tang and Ben Fhala continued their community outreach
initiative at the August 26 Saturday Farmers/Flea market.
For the second week in a row, Ms Tang and Mr Fhala set up a table at Good
Shepherd Plaza to engage their fellow residents in a conversation about the
upcoming F train service disruptions (which started today) and extreme
overcrowding at the Tram caused by tourist traffic.
Ms Tang also reported:
... Seniors and disabled and families with young children get to cut the line
on the Tram because they're special passengers. They can go up to the front of the line and get on the tram
before the regular population .
Mr Fhala added:
... We heard that from PSD if you're a senior or if you're a person with young
children just go to the front of the lines and let them know that. They should
allow you to go through....
... We found out according to our General Counsel that it's
illegal... legal counsel says we're not allowed to. It's illegal to have
a separate resident line. So unfortunately we run up into two constraints,
physical and legal....
Mr Fhala added:
... I wouldn't go to the details because we're not lawyers.... I think it's
the best not to go into details...
This morning, I asked RIOC President Shelton Haynes:
During our conversation prior to the OMNY press conference last Thursday you mentioned that no other RIOC President has allowed a separate Tram line for Roosevelt Island residents and that it would be illegal to do so. You also indicated that if you could set up a separate line for residents you would do so.
I understand that RIOC General Counsel Gretchen Robinson has issued a legal opinion that it would be illegal for RIOC to establish a separate line on the Roosevelt Island Tram for residents.
What is the basis for that legal opinion?
I am preparing a story on this subject for this afternoon.
Please provide a copy of the legal opinion which I will include in the story.
Also, if RIOC wishes to comment on the matter, please let me know and I will include it in the story.
Mr Haynes did not respond directly to my inquiry, but this evening RIOC sent out an email statement and social media message on the subject of Tram Priority Service for Roosevelt Island residents. According to RIOC:
Roosevelt Island Community:
The Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation has evaluated the possibility of implementing various preferences for Roosevelt Island residents in accessing the Tram, and we have chosen not to move forward with these proposals due to various legal and policy constraints. We understand the difficulties this disruption in F-train service has created for Tram riders (especially residents), however, we believe the creation of either a priority line or a reduced fare for residents would violate state law and could have adverse legal consequences for the Corporation.
Under New York State law, the Roosevelt Island Tram qualifies as a common carrier, just like the New York City Subway, the Long Island Railroad, Metro-North or any other mass transit system. Common carriers are prohibited by law from discriminating against people based on their residency. Per New York Transportation Law § 101, regarding unjust discrimination:
No common carrier shall, directly or indirectly, by any special rate, rebate, drawback, or other device or method, charge, demand, collect or receive from any person or corporation a greater or less compensation for any service rendered or to be rendered in the transportation of passengers or property, except as authorized in this chapter, than it charges, demands, collects or receives from any other person or corporation for doing a like and contemporaneous service in the transportation of a like kind of traffic under the same or substantially similar circumstances and conditions.
Likewise, New York Transportation Law § 102, prohibits unreasonable preferences:
No common carrier shall make or give any undue or unreasonable preference or advantage to any person or corporation or to any locality or to any particular description of traffic in any respect whatsoever, or subject any particular person or corporation or locality or any particular description of traffic, to any undue or unreasonable prejudice or disadvantage in any respect whatsoever.
Simply put, we cannot discriminate for or against any group of riders based on their residency, and we believe that either an express line or reduced fare for Island residents would violate these provisions of the Transportation Law.
Additionally, we believe that implementing a resident-only fare would violate the terms of multiple contracts that RIOC has entered over the years with the City of New York and the MTA. The Tram operates under a franchise granted by the City of New York and the New York City Council. Under the terms of that franchise agreement, RIOC must, by contract, charge the same rates and offer the same fares as New York City Transit. Based on the City’s franchise, RIOC then entered into agreements with MTA covering fare collection at the Tram which include the same restrictions. RIOC would therefore be breaching these agreements if we created any new or different service than what is provided in the larger mass transit system.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, RIOC is a New York State public benefit corporation tasked with operating and maintaining Roosevelt Island, yes for residents, but also for all New Yorkers and any visitors alike. RIOC is proud of the iconic Roosevelt Island Tram, and we are proud that it is open equally to all New Yorkers and to the millions of people who visit New York City every year.
My response to RIOC's statement.
First of all, nobody that I’m aware of is asking for a reduction in the Tram fare for residents. That would do nothing to alleviate the long lines and overcrowding. It’s a straw man argument.
Second, the statute cited by RIOC relies on an “undue or unreasonable preference or advantage” standard.
Proponents of a separate line for residents/workers would argue that the Tram is an essential mode of transportation that has limited capacity. The overcrowding by tourists causing long lines and waiting times exacerbated by the current F train service disruption has a substantial negative effect on the quality of life for residents and workers including elderly, disabled, parents with strollers, students going to school etc.
It is entirely “reasonable” for RIOC to permit preferential boarding on the limited capacity Tram for residents who need the tram to pursue their daily activities over tourists who are using the Tram as a sightseeing amusement attraction.
Also, several residents have reported that at one time the Tram did give priority to Roosevelt Island residents over tourists. Here's an excerpt from May 29, 1976 NY Times article that proves it.
Resident preference for the Tram was already done. Why not again?
By the way, how was your commute today on the first day of the F Shuttle? Any problem on the subway or Tram.
Relax and enjoy an evening of 4 course fine dining and entertainment at the Sanctuary; Roosevelt. Islands elegant waterfront venue. Featuring Live Jazz , vocal performances dancing and more. An event you don’t want to miss.
Roosevelt Island is a mixed income, racially diverse waterfront community situated in the East River of New York City between Manhattan and Queens and is jurisdictionally part of Manhattan. The Roosevelt Island Tramway, which connects Roosevelt Island to the rest of Manhattan, has become the iconic symbol of Roosevelt Island to its residents.
The Purpose of this Blog is to provide accurate and timely information about Roosevelt Island as well as a forum for residents to express opinions and engage in a dialogue to improve our community.
