Some Welcome Good News About The Roosevelt Island Tram - RIOC Reports Tram Will Resume Normal 7.5 Minute Rush Hour and 15 Minute Off Peak Schedule For 2 Week Test Period Beginning February 15 - Hopefully Swinging Tram Problem Has Been Solved

As reported last October 2,  the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) reduced the Roosevelt Island Tram cabin speed and decreased the hourly trips over the East River in order to reduce cabin swaying incidents like these at the direction of the NY State Department of Labor.

 

With only a single Tram cabin working this week, we could use some good news today from RIOC about the Roosevelt Island Tram and we have it.

According to RIOC:

Dear Roosevelt Island Community,

Starting Saturday, February 15th, we will begin testing an enhanced Tram speed designed to reduce the wait time between cabins during both rush hour and normal off-peak service. This adjusted schedule—returning cabin wait times to every 7.5 minutes during rush hour and every 15 minutes during off-peak hours—will be in effect for a two-week trial period, from February 15th through March 1st.

The decision to reduce the Tram’s speed in October was made in coordination with our Tram operator, Leitner-Poma, and the New York State Department of Labor (DOL), with the goal of improving passenger comfort and safety while Poma addressed issues with the Tram’s communications system. The on-board communications system has been experiencing persistent interference, which can occasionally cause the cabins to perform a controlled stop during service, sometimes leading to significant cabin swaying during mid-air flight.

In response to the issue, Poma has added new swing dampeners to the cabins, recalibrated them, replaced fiber lines in the communications system, and swapped out aging components and antennas. These improvements have significantly reduced both the frequency of communications system interruptions and the degree of cabin swaying during controlled stops. While the overall communications system still needs to be replaced to fully resolve the issue, we believe the recent work justifies the two-week trial period at a faster speed, in consultation with state regulators.

Attached to this notice is the amended Tram schedule that will take effect starting February 15th. Throughout this trial, passenger comfort and safety will remain our top priorities. RIOC, Poma, and the New York State Department of Labor will closely monitor the two-week trial period and reassess the Tram’s schedule at the conclusion of the trial. PSD will also continue to monitor conditions at both the Roosevelt Island and Manhattan Tram stations.

Thank you for your continued patience during this Tram slowdown. We deeply appreciate your understanding and will continue to advocate for the swift implementation of a permanent solution.

- Team RIOC

UPDATE 2/11: 

NY State Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright adds:

As Roosevelt Island residents know, I have been a longtime and steadfast advocate for upgrading and modernizing the Tram in discussions with RIOC and stakeholders in the city and state. So I was pleased to learn from the Governor’s office last week that RIOC would now commence this two-week trial period to test speed, communications and passenger comfort enhancements. Whether it’s used to travel to a medical appointment or as daily work commute, the Tram is vital to Roosevelt Island. I remain committed to helping ensure it remains a safe, efficient and comfortable mode of transportation for the community.