Report From Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright On Roosevelt Island Tram Operations And Local Parents Seek Support For Increased Roosevelt Island 3K Seats Among Subjects Discussed At February 3 Community Board 8 Roosevelt Island Committee Meeting
Community Board 8 (CB8) Roosevelt Island Committee Chair Paul Krikler hosted a February 3 virtual meeting discussing a variety of local issues.
Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright's community liaison Harley Neiditz reported that:
... the Assembly Member is currently busy in Albany with session and preparing for budget hearings as a member of the Ways and Means Committee. Our office is currently in communication with the Governor's office. We were informed of a couple of promising updates. We continue to press for clarity surrounding the request for priority boarding and a waiver.
First additional swing dampeners will be installed to enable the Tram to increase its speed resulting in more trips per hour. Second, Poma, which is the tram contractor, has agreed to install the radio frequency system by quarter 3 which is the summer as opposed to quarter 4 which would have been December 2025. We're pushing for it to be moved up even further now as well.
We remain we remain supportive of the priority boarding resolution as proposed by CB 8 to include priority for New Yorkers.
Several Roosevelt Island parents spoke seeking support for increasing the number of 3k seats on Roosevelt Island. According to one parent:
... we understand the Roosevelt Island Day Nursery continues to write to whichever planning committee is responsible for allocating funds for 3K. They have the capacity to offer more spots and they have made that known to the Department of Education but they have not received approval to formally expand. Some of the parents have gotten together and we've got a petition and letter writing campaign...
If you wish to help secure more 3K seats for Roosevelt Island, click here for more info.
Roosevelt Island Historical Society (RIHS) President Judy Berdy invited residents to an upcoming
February 18 Lecture program, When Manhattan Was Dutch, at the Roosevelt Island Public Library. Ms Berdy adds that the RIHS programs at the Library are:
... a great way to meet your neighbors, to find out stuff about the island, to find out stuff about history and we're always glad to answer some of those innumerable questions that newcomers have to the Island...
Also, resident Joyce Short spoke about her efforts to define consent in regard to sexual assault penal laws
Here's video of the full meeting.
The next CB 8 Roosevelt Island committee meeting is scheduled for Monday, March 3.
