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?
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.
