RIOC Installs Tram Webcam Real Time Live Streaming Feeds At Both Manhattan And Roosevelt Island Stations Today - Riders Can Check Line Conditions Before Deciding To Travel On The Tram Or Subway

During a conversation last February with Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Deputy General Counsel/Interim Leadership Team member Gerrald Ellis and Communications Director Bryant Daniels, I mentioned that about 10 years ago Roosevelt Island had several active public webcams showing livestream views of various spots on the Island. Among the live webcams at the time was one from Rivercross Crossing at 405 Main Street showing the Roosevelt Island Tram station. These webcams have not been active for many years.

I suggested RIOC install a webcam at both the Roosevelt Island and Manhattan Tram stations so that residents can see how long both Tram station lines were at any given time before making a decision to take the Tram or subway.

Today RIOC announced that they installed the Roosevelt Island Tram webcams as can be seen from the screenshot below.

RIOC reported today:

This past week, the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC) launched its new Tram Station Livestreams, real-time video feeds of both the Roosevelt Island and Manhattan Tram stations that will allow travelers to check lines and conditions before heading out for their travel. The livestreams can be viewed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on the RIOC website. To navigate to the Livestream from the RIOC homepage, visit RIOC.ny.gov, click the Transportation tab, then Tram, then Roosevelt Island Tram Station Livestreams.

The Roosevelt Island Tram has become both an essential transportation option for island residents and a notable tourist attraction for people from all over the world. In recent years, the Tram has seen a surge in ridership, which during the busier warmer months can lead to extended wait times and longer lines for the Tram, particularly on the Manhattan side. The Tram Station Livestreams are designed to help riders plan their travel by offering real-time insights into Tram station conditions, which in turn can help lead to better planning with off-island travel.

“This was an idea we heard about earlier this year and thought it would be a great way to help Tram riders, particularly those who live on Roosevelt Island, make more informed travel decisions,” said Gerrald Ellis and Dhruvika Patel Amin, RIOC’s Interim Leadership Team. “The Roosevelt Island Tram is the busiest Tram in the entire world according to our operator Leitner-Poma. We take pride in that, but we also understand that its popularity is a double-edged sword for island residents who just want to get home after a long day at work or school. Now with our Tram Station Livestreams, if you check the feed and see that the line at one of the stations looks particularly long, you’ll know that you might want to try utilizing another travel option, like the F-Train, before heading out on your trip.”

RIOC’s Tram Station Livestreams serve as a valuable resource to help alert the public to current Tramway conditions and anticipated travel times. Livestreams are not recorded and do not transmit any accompanying audio. They shall not be used to monitor or surveil individuals or groups. RIOC shall provide for a level of privacy consistent with applicable laws and in accordance with the requirements of using CCTV systems for traffic management and traveler information purposes in the State of New York.

The project to develop the Tram Station Livestreams was spearheaded by the RIOC Information Technologies Department, led by Abdel Boujoual, RIOC’s Director of Information Technology. The page has also been optimized for mobile users, so riders can check the Tram stations on their phones before travel.

Today, I asked Mr Daniels:

Why is there no webcam showing the Manhattan station platform? It only shows the staircase and Tram Plaza which is good, but knowing how crowded the platform is would be a benefit too.

Mr Bryant replied:

The idea was to locate the cameras in a way that can show if the lines are particularly long. The platform will always get crowded from time to time but if you can see a longer line outside on the plaza area, you can probably expect a longer than average commute.

Good job by RIOC and the Interim Leadership Team. Placing a webcam live streaming feed at the Tram stations has been requested for many years under multiple RIOC administrations and never implemented before. 

Unfortunately for Roosevelt Island, Mr Ellis announced last week that he will be leaving RIOC at the end of this month.