RIOC Director's New Year's Resolution To Engage With Local Roosevelt Island Media - First Question On Roosevelt Island Transportation And Resident/Worker Tram Priority Boarding Preference

Ben Fhala was among the three local residents, including Lydia Tang and Dr Michal Melamed, appointed to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Board of Directors last June. During the last 7 months, these three new directors have attempted, with varying degrees of success, to bring some transparency and oversight to RIOC.

Mr Fhala sent the following message yesterday to local Roosevelt Island media.

Dear Roosevelt Island Media,

I trust you had a wonderful New Year. As part of my New Year's resolution, I am committed to fostering more extensive discussions on operational and governance topics, particularly with you. My intention is to engage in ongoing dialogues until I am satisfied with the performance of the communications team, executive leadership, and board oversight concerning our fiduciary duties to RIOC and responsibilities to the community.

These communications do not represent official RIOC or full board responses; rather, they reflect my role as an appointed resident board member. My communications often receive approval from multiple board members and, over time, hopefully from the administration. It is imperative that these communications are published in their entirety to avoid any misinterpretation due to the sensitive nature of the topics discussed.

Feel free to respond or challenge any of these communications as you deem appropriate. If you agree, I am willing to address a list of your questions in a structured interview. Should these terms be acceptable to you, I am open to sharing my perspectives on oversight, myself, and general topics of interest.

I look forward to your response. Please understand that, given the significance of these matters, it may take a few days for me to reply. If you decide to publish my communications, kindly ensure they are presented in full to maintain context and prevent any misconceptions.

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 nor the full board but serves as a Resident Board member, offering information to the community and its stakeholders. 

A few hours later I responded to Mr Fhala:

Ben & RIOC Board Members

Ben, thank you for your efforts to communicate with the Roosevelt Island community on important issues of concern.

As you may know, there will be no Roosevelt Island F train shuttle service this weekend. As a result, the Roosevelt Island Tram is expected to be even more overcrowded than usual with very long waiting time for residents and workers trying to get back and forth between the Roosevelt Island and Manhattan 2nd Avenue Tram stations.

What preparations has RIOC made to reduce the transportation problems this weekend caused by the lack of F Train Shuttle service?

Will RIOC give Roosevelt Island residents and workers preference on the line waiting for the Tram this weekend? It could be as easy as allowing anyone with a Metro Card preference on the line since most tourists will use the OMNY payment system?

Will Seniors, Disabled and Parents with strollers be allowed to use the Tram elevator without waiting on the line?

Will there be a Red Bus shuttle to Manhattan?

Also, the RIOC General Counsel issued an opinion several months ago wrongly claiming that it would be illegal to create a separate Tram line for residents/workers who use the Tram for essential transportation and others who use the Tram as a Sightseeing attraction.

Is the RIOC Board aware that on December 7, Governor Hochul announced preferential treatment for residents of Queens and the Bronx who use the Henry Hudson Bridge and Cross Bay Bridge with a Toll rebate program which is not available for those who do not live in Queens or the Bronx. See Governor Hochul's announcement here.

If Queens and Bronx residents can receive preferential treatment for use of these bridges not available to others, will the RIOC Board provide a preference for Roosevelt Island residents using the Roosevelt Island Tram? If not, why?

Please let me know if the RIOC Board or staff have any comment on this matter?

Thank you. 

 Mr Fhala replied:

Thank you for your prompt response.

I am inclined to focus on more enduring questions, steering clear of any interference with the current administration. My hope is that lessons were learned from the past shutdown, and improvements will be evident. I hope that with the track switch the executive team has coordinated with the MTA to confirm the station will remain accessible.

As I understand it, PSD will be on-site managing traffic. I wish to express my confidence in Chief Kevin Brown's ability to assist commuters, especially those of age, disabled, and with young children. To my knowledge, there hasn't been any change in this directive. Despite the known conflicts between certain resident board members and the executive team, I am optimistic that a focus on the best interests of both RIOC and the community will prevail. @Brown, Kevin (RIOC) can you confirm and/or add any additional notes?

In the coming week, I plan to brainstorm with fellow resident board members articulate more comprehensive answers and thoughts in regards to your non-weekend specific questions.

A final note to our fellow residents: ther is no doubt that this weekend will be challenging one; If possible, consider avoiding the tram this weekend to alleviate stress on the RIOC operated systems. Instead, explore the alternative options of utilizing the ferry and the Q102.

@Daniels, Bryant (RIOC), is there anything additional you would like to contribute beyond the advisory sent out?

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 nor the full board but serves as a Resident Board member, offering information to the community and its stakeholders.

 RIOC Director Fay Christian replied today:

As stated in the RIOC announcement, this weekend, the MTA will provide bus transportation to subway lines in queens. The bridge situation in queens and Bronx was overseen by Governor Hochul.

I replied to Ms Christian:

Thank you for the response.

Could you clarify what you mean by: "The bridge situation in queens and Bronx was overseen by Governor Hochul."

RIOC"S reasoning is that it would be illegal for a preferential resident/worker line at the Roosevelt Island Tram.

Why does RIOC deem it illegal for resident/worker preferences on the Roosevelt Island Tram when it is legal for preferential resident rebates to be given to Bronx and Queens residents using the Bridges?

Is it within the power of the RIOC Board to set a policy of resident/worker preference on the Tram?

If not, why?

Thanks again.

Ms Christian answered:

Below is the quote taken from your email. I merely restated your comments. 

"Is the RIOC Board aware that on December 7, Governor Hochul announced preferential treatment for residents of Queens and the Bronx who use the Henry Hudson Bridge and Cross Bay Bridge with a Toll rebate program which is not available for those who do not live in Queens or the Bronx. See Governor Hochul's announcement here."

The answer to your questions can all be solved in your quote.

Mr Fhala, together with RIOC, the Executive Chamber of Governor Hochul's Office as well as other NY State Officials

Image From November 14, 2023 RIOC Board Of Directors Meeting

are currently being sued by RIOC President Shelton Haynes and General Counsel Gretchen Robinson. 

According to the lawsuit:

This is a case about how the Executive Chamber for the Office of the Governor of New York (the “Chamber”) and the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (“RIOC”) have unfairly subjected Shelton J. Haynes and Gretchen K. Robinson (“Robinson,” and together with Haynes, the “Plaintiffs”), two African American executives, to continuous and pervasive discrimination by, including but not limited to, subjecting Haynes and Robinson to frequent unwarranted investigations by the New York State Inspector General (“NYSIG”) as well as ordering an independent investigation by an outside counsel—something not done for other, more serious allegations—based entirely on specious allegations of wrongdoing. The Chamber did so while simultaneously thwarting Haynes’s and Robinson’s efforts to fight back against the discrimination and defend themselves and RIOC against a multitude of defamatory statements made by a local blogger and a group of disgruntled former employees. After a seven-month investigation by an outside counsel—an investigation that was wholly out of step with prior practice of the RIOC Board of Directors (the “RIOC Board”) and referred to by one RIOC Board Member as a “f****** racist witch hunt”—State officials close to the Governor, led by Defendants Alejandro Valella (“Valella,” who provided updates to the Chamber on the investigation) and Diana Lopez (“Lopez”) intentionally delayed outside counsel’s publication of a report that exonerated Plaintiffs of wrongdoing, and instructed outside counsel to sanitize the first draft of the report to remove and cover up the findings that confirmed and supported Plaintiffs’ ongoing complaints of experiencing racial discrimination while working at RIOC. Other Chamber officials, including Defendants Roger Maldonado (“Maldonado”), Tania Dissanayake (“Dissanayake”), RuthAnne Visnauskas (“Visnauskas”), and Lopez, who were aware of the discrimination findings in the report, have discriminated and retaliated against Plaintiffs by, among other means: (1) installing RIOC Board Members (Ben Fhala (“Fhala”) and Lydia Tang (“Tang”)) —who, from the beginning of their board tenures, have been antagonistic to Plaintiffs—without consulting Plaintiffs (a departure from prior practice); and (2) preventing existing RIOC Board Members—who are supportive of Haynes and Robinson—from filling committee vacancies. Moreover, since Plaintiffs filed this lawsuit, Defendants have continued—and even escalated— their unwarranted targeting of Plaintiffs by initiating yet another frivolous investigation into them, interfering with their ability to do their jobs, and criticizing them to the media. Through their actions, Defendants have also subjected Plaintiffs to a hostile work environment. In doing so, they have made their message to Plaintiffs clear: GET OUT....

Mr Fhala's New Year's resolution is a good start.