Only 1 Of 5 Roosevelt Island Red Buses Currently In Service, '"We're Sorry And Are Working As Hard As We Can To Restore Full Service As Quickly As Possible" Says RIOC - At Least Red Bus GPS Tracking Beta Testing Working Now

As reported last June 21:

RIOC Says 5 Roosevelt Island Red Buses Are Required For Daily Operations - Unforeseen Maintenance Issues Reduce Red Bus Fleet Currently To Only 2 In Service

Image From RIOC January 17,2024 Operations Advisory Committee Presentation

There is currently only one Roosevelt Island Red Bus operating.

The Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) announced at approximately 9 PM last Saturday evening:

Dear Roosevelt Island Community:

We were informed this evening that one of our buses suffered a significant mechanical issue and needed to be taken off the road. Unfortunately, we are now down to one bus on Main Street and expect this to remain the case for the next several days, at a minimum.

We are under no illusions about how frustrating this situation is for island residents. We sincerely apologize for these issues and are working as hard as we can to restore full service as quickly as possible.

This is now the third bus that is currently inactive due to repair work. Our Red Bus fleet is aging, and the buses we have are running constantly. Though we have ordered two new buses, we don’t expect them to arrive on the island until the end of 2024/early 2025. For now, our Transportation team is doing its very best to keep things steady, but the situation is difficult.

The one bus currently on the road will be running on a “load and go” basis to try and keep people moving. You can currently track the Red Bus using the Transit app (RIOC is in the beta testing phase of this bus tracking, but it is live for the public to see) so we encourage folks to download this free app and check the bus location on the island before departing.

We are also encouraging riders to utilize the Q102 bus, which has free transfers for both the F-Train and Tram. The Q102 can also be tracked through the Transit app, an added benefit to downloading it.

When we have more details on when full service will be restored, we will be sure to share them with the community.

Sincerely,

The RIOC Executive Team

A Tipster reports the possibility of RIOC utilizing the Roosevelt Island Disabled Association (RIDA) bus on a temporary basis to supplement the Red Bus service.

A resident asks:

Will the Octagon increase their shuttle service?

Don't know the answer.

Another resident adds:

I've basically given up on using the Red Bus. It's unreliable at best and it seems like the RIOC doesn't even bother to communicate.

Other residents don't have the option to give up on the Red Bus. For many, the Red Bus is an essential transportation service on Roosevelt Island.

Temporarily leasing a bus was discussed during the May 1, 2024 RIOC Operations Advisory Committee meeting. RIOC deemed the leasing price tag of $19 thousand a month for a required 12 months at $228 thousand annually to be price prohibitive.

Here's the discussion.

A Roosevelt Island resident using the nom de plume "Fed Up With RIOC" comments on RIOC temporarily leasing buses from the bus manufacturer as described in the Operations Committee meeting:

The incompetence of the past administration has to be replaced with creative problem solving. Going to the existing Bus vendor and asking them to be a solution provider makes no sense. We do not need state of the art buses to solve the pressing problem . The pressure on Island Residents will be reduced even if they leased a fleet of old school buses that run every 10 minutes...with the sole remaining red bus running as frequently as it can to accommodate our wheelchair bound neighbors and those who cannot climb stairs.

Hopefully there is room for creative thinking at RIOC and quick action.

Another proposed idea from a resident is borrowing a bus from the MTA?

More info on the Roosevelt Island Red Bus issue including RIOC Board approval to purchase 2 new Red Buses and how we got to the present situation at this prior post.      

Click here to get the Roosevelt Island Red Bus GPS Transit app.

Remember that the Red Bus GPS app is still in testing phase. According to RIOC:

The Red Bus tracking on the Transit app is still in its testing phase. We weren’t ready to announce it yet as we’re still working through some issues but given our latest bus troubles, we decided to mention it publicly as it can be a helpful tool for riders. 

But there are still bugs that we’re working through. Buses are outfitted with tracking devices; we aren’t using riders to do the tracking for us. Passenger counts on the app are always going to be approximate, but safely assume that with one bus running it’s going to be quite full. 

But give the Red Bus GPS a try. When the kinks are worked out, it will be very useful.

UPDATE 8/13 - A resident shares photo of 4 Roosevelt Island Red Buses at the Motorgate yard last evening.

These are all decommissioned non-working buses used for their spare parts for working Red Buses.

Watch Last Night's Very Interesting Community Board 8 Roosevelt Island Committee Zoom Meeting With RIOC Update, State Senator Liz Krueger & Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright - 2 Of 4 Red Buses Out Of Service But Real Time Tracking Coming Soon, RIOC Leadership Changes & Direct Election Of RIOC Board Directors Among Issues Discussed

Manhattan Community Board 8 (CB8) Roosevelt Island Committee Chair Paul Krikler moderated an interesting Zoom meeting last night with Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Communications Director Bryant Daniels, NY State Senator Liz Krueger and NY State Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright talking with residents about a variety of local issues. The meeting began with Mr Daniels providing a RIOC update and answering questions on the: 

• RIOC interim leadership changes - (Deputy General Counsel Gerrald Ellis left RIOC for a job in the private sector. Acting Chief Operating Officer Mary Cunneen and Associate General Counsel Lada Stasko will join Chief Financial Officer Dhru Dhruvika on the interim leadership team), 
• Red Bus service outages - Of the 4 Red Buses, 2 buses are currently working on Main Street. 1 Red Bus is out of service and is expected to be back in service this week which will restore Octagon Bus Service. The 4th Bus is out of service for maintenance and no date yet for when it will be fixed.  2 new Red Buses are on order.
• Red Bus Real Time Schedule Tracking service will be working soon and integrated in NY Transit app as well as the soon to launch Roosevelt Island Citizens Project platform.
• Weekend Volleyball Players at Firefighters Field taking over entire area with no room for others to use the field - RIOC is aware of issue and will look more into it.

NY State Senator Krueger and Assembly Member Seawright then discussed Roosevelt Island governance issues including:

• direct elections for members of the RIOC Board of Directors by Roosevelt Island residents, 
• residency requirement for RIOC President and 
• the Roosevelt Island Master Lease between the City and State of NY

Ms Kreuger did not support direct elections for RIOC Directors or Roosevelt Island residency requirements for RIOC President. Ms Seawright supported both. 

According to Ms Krueger, any Governor is unlikely to give up the power to appoint RIOC Directors by way of a direct election. Ms Seawight said that Mayor Adams has agreed to use direct elections for appointment of the two Mayoral appointments to the RIOC Board.

Governor Hochul has previously vetoed legislation requiring residency for RIOC President and for resident Board members who move away from Roosevelt Island.

Watch the very interesting discussion on these issues.

CB 8 Roosevelt Island Committee meeting are scheduled for the first Monday of every month except August. The next meeting will be on September 9. You're invited to attend, share your thoughts and ask questions.

RIOC Responds To Roosevelt Island Transportation Outreach With Courtesy Signage Encouraging Giving Up Seats For Elderly/Disabled/Pregnant Woman And Will Start Routine PSD Patrols On Red Bus - Watch Video Of Full RI Transportation Issues Discussion

According to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC)

On Thursday, January 9th, RIOC’s Chief Operating Officer Shelton Haynes, along with the Transportation Department’s Cy Opperman and Joe Marino heard from the community as part of our new outreach initiative: Re-Introducing RIOC.

A number of attendees at the event at the Roosevelt Island Senior Center voiced concerns about courtesy on our transportation network, particularly about our Red Bus service. RIOC encourages everyone to be considerate of their fellow passengers because a little kindness goes a long way. Although we still have some work to do in other areas, we are happy to report that we were able to quickly address two of your chief concerns immediately.

MORE PSD OFFICERS ON THE RED BUS

As a result of the community’s request, PSD has already started routine patrols on the Red Buses throughout the day. These patrols will be conducted seven days a week during the Red Bus hours of operation.

NEW & IMPROVED COURTESY SIGNS ON EVERY BUS

RIOC’s new COURTESY COUNTS signs will be posted on each bus within the next two weeks.

These signs feature images that clearly demonstrate which seats on the bus are reserved for those who are pregnant, the elderly and the disabled.

It is our hope that these signs and the increased PSD presence on the buses, will encourage our customers to consider the safety and comfort of all of their fellow passengers. Because a little bit of consideration for your neighbor goes a long way. If you see an incident happen on a bus, please alert the driver or contact PSD immediately at 212-832-4545.

Image From RIOC

Issues discussed during the January 9 Roosevelt Island Transportation meeting at Carter Burden Roosevelt Island Senior Center included:

Read more »

Roosevelt Island Red Bus Next Bus GPS App Down For A Week Says Resident - RIOC Says It's Working Today

The Next Bus App is a very useful and convenient tool for residents enabling us to know when the Roosevelt Island Red Bus
 

will arrive at our stop - when it is working.

A reader asked today about the status of the Next Bus Roosevelt Island Red Bus App:

... have you heard anything about the bus app not working again? It’s been about a week of it not working...

Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Public Information Officer Alonza Robertson has the answer:

Yes, there were some problems with the Next Bus app this week. We did not receive a reason why from the developer which operates the app that displays our buses approximate GPS-tracked locations/arrival times.

The app is up and working again this afternoon.

As previously reported, the Octagon Building pays for and has the contract with Next Bus for the Roosevelt Island Red Bus App.

Check out the Roosevelt Islansd Red Bus Next Bus app for yourself.

You can download the mobile app here.

Roosevelt Island Red Bus Next Bus GPS System Returns To Service Today

As reported last February, the Roosevelt Island Red Bus Next Bus GPS mobile phone app has been out of service for quite a while.

Good news today. the Red Bus Next Bus app is now working.

Image Today From Next Bus

Check out the Roosevelt Islansd Red Bus Next Bus app for yourself.

You can download the mobile app here.

More info to follow.

UPDATE 5/11 - Received multiple reports this morning that the Red Bus Next Bus app was not working.  As of 12:43 PM, the app was still not working.

According to Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Transportation Manager Cy Opperman:

Next Bus support services are working on the problem.

UPDATE 5/12 - As of 11:10 AM, Roosevelt Island Red Bus Next Bus app still not working.

Why Is The Roosevelt Island Red Bus NextBus GPS Tracking System Not Working? Waiting For Necessary Equipment Upgrade Says Octagon Building Management

One of the most frequently asked questions I receive is about the Roosevelt Island Red Bus

NextBus GPS tracking system. Residents ask why is it not working

Image From NextBus

and when will the service return.

Octagon Building General Manager Andrea Heon provides the answer:

The Octagon paid and renewed our contract with NextBus towards the end of December in order to continue to provide our residents with the NextBus tracking service as it has in the past.

We understand that this is also a benefit for all residents of Roosevelt Island as well. Unfortunately, it came to our attention after we renewed, that all of the current tracking equipment under our contract is no longer compatible with the network available on Roosevelt Island.

NextBus has sent us an additional contract to upgrade all of the equipment in order for it to function properly. We have communicated to NextBus that we are reviewing the necessary steps to replace these items as quickly as possible.

As the equipment incompatibility issue was unforeseen, it has taken a little longer to review the new scopes and the contract for the new equipment than it did for us to simply continue on with the renewal of the contract. I hope this background will assist in understanding our intentions. We are very sorry for the inconvenience this issue has caused the residents of Roosevelt Island, and are hopeful to have the upgrades taken care of very soon to resume providing this service for Roosevelt Island.

Roosevelt Island NextBus service began in 2009.

Roosevelt Island Residents Ask For Southbound Red Bus Stop At Rivercross Building, RIOC Evaluating Request - Additional Red Bus, Less Crowding, Better Tracking Asked For Too

Is an additional Roosevelt Island Southbound Red Bus stop needed between the current Good Shepherd and Riverwalk stops?



A reader suggests:

.... a bus stop between the church and the next stop. I go to The doctors office and it's a long walk from the church to the Drs office. When you're  not feeling good or it is extremely hot you don't feel like walking that far.

I have heard similar requests for a southbound Rivercross Red Bus Stop

Image of Proposed Red Bus Stop In Front Of Rivercross Building

from others

Red Bus Passing Rivercross Building On Way To Riverwalk Stop

as well.

Also, on July 25, Roosevelt Island resident Nathaniel Phillips expressed concerns about the Red Bus service. According to Mr. Phillips:

Once again there was no southbound Red Bus service @ 10am. From 9:45 to 10:15 people were stranded. There was a 10am Octogon Express than went by with 10 people on it at 10:02. I wonder if there is any management of the Red Bus system? The lack of a 10am bus must have been known and that 30 minute gap must have rippled through. There are times that drivers leave early! Making a 2 minute a 17 minute wait! If you call the Red Bus phone line you go to voicemail and I've yet to have a call returned.

As things stand at as general matter the bus is consistently overcrowded during the day time hours. We need an additional bus. Several drivers do not enable the GPS units making the bus tracking apps useless. Lastly the use of SUV size strollers is a safety hazard. I've been on a bus with 3 baby strollers carrying two babies and a dog. This bus service is in desperate need of management.

Why can't we be text notified when bus service is interrupted? Why don't we have countdown clocks at stops on the route? Why can't GPS tracking be reliable? Why doesn't RIOC has an APP to communicate with its customers? We are not asking for the logistical management of the Normandy landing! I am sure the Red Bus has lots of complications, but the MTA is much better at tracking thousands of buses along thousands of city streets. This is a 2 mile long bus route.

I forwarded the request for an additional Red Bus Stop at Rivercross building and Mr. Phillips comment to Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) President Susan Rosenthal, RIOC Directors and RIOC Transportation Manager Cy Opperman.

Mr. Opperman replied

On Monday July 25, 2016 the 10 AM Octagon local bus ( # 5 ) was taken out of service, because of a rear door electrical problem. Also we are evaluating the request for a bus stop at 507 Main Street.

I also asked Mr. Opperman

... is the Next Bus Red Bus Schedule App still working?

Residents have told me that app does not work any longer.

Is there another Red Bus schedule app being used?

Mr. Opperman replied:

The app is still up and running. As you know already, the signal does get lost at times under the Ed Koch bridge, however bus movement can be tracked by the app.

There are a few steps when tracking the Red Bus on the app.

On the NextBus main page hit Menu, select agency, scroll down to New York and click Roosevelt Island, now users should click Red Bus, choose Northbound or Southbound, choose their stop, then click to view map where the buses will appear.

Next Bus Roosevelt Island Red Bus app is here and can be downloaded here.

RIOC Director David Kraut provides some historical background on Roosevelt Island Red Bus stop at Rivercross building:

When there was a stop at 505, the next-previous stop was in front of the Stationary Store, so the spacing was natural. The stop was moved to behind the Chapel when we obtained new, longer busses sometime in the mid- 1990's.

Moving that stop lost the Stationary most of it's newspaper business.

When Is Roosevelt Island Red Bus Scheduled To Arrive At Your Stop? Check Out Current Version Of Next Bus App To Find Out

A reader asked today about the status of the Next Bus Roosevelt Island Red Bus App:

Just wondering if you happen to know what happened to the Red Bus app...? It was great to have:)

I asked the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC):

Several residents have asked me why the Next Bus Red Bus app is no longer working.

They found it very helpful to know when the next Red Bus is arriving.

Has it been discontinued without any replacement?

My app was installed when service first began.

Is there a more current Roosevelt Island Next bus app?

RIOC responded that the Next Bus Roosevelt Island Red Bus App is working

but make sure you download the most recent version.

 According to RIOC:

The RIOC Red Bus makes all local stops every fifteen minutes from 5:45 AM until 2:30 AM every day. Please see the tables below for Regular, Rush Hour and Octagon Express service schedules. There is no fare to ride the Red Bus. Friday and Saturday night service is extended until 3:30 AM.

Image From RIOC

Click here for more information

Image From RIOC

on Roosevelt Island transportation from RIOC.

Problems With Roosevelt Island Red Bus GPS Tracking Applications Recently - NextBus Working To Find Solution Says RIOC

 Image From RI 311 See Click Fix

On April 14, this report was submitted to RI 311 See Click Fix:

No current prediction - is nextbus broken? I have been unable to track the Red Bus for several days.

Yesterday, the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) issued this advisory:

Please be advised that we are experiencing difficulties with third party "real time" applications for the Red Bus.

Applications such as "RBT Red Bus Tracking Application" and "RI Bus Tracker Android Application" are currently not operational.

We are diligently working with Next Bus and application developers to fix this issue as soon as possible.

In the interim, Real Time Red Bus information is available at www.nextbus.com

Sincerely,

Roosevelt Island Operating Corp Advisories Group

Here comes the Red Bus.



More on the Next Bus Roosevelt Island Red Bus GPS system from previous post way back in 2009.

Report From RIOC President Leslie Torres - Congratulates Super Bowl Winning NY Giants, Roosevelt Island Verdant Tidal Enery Project, 2.1 Million Tram Riders, NYPD and FDNY Tram Rescue Training, Red Bus GPS Tracking Fix, Grandparents Safety Day and Black History Month

 Image of Roosevelt Island Red Bus GPS Tracking Screenshot from Itunes

Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) President Lesie Torres sends the following report to Roosevelt Island residents.

Congratulations to the Super Bowl champion New York Giants! I’m sure all of you Giants fans enjoyed the game and the celebration in the days that followed. Hopefully the team’s display of hard work and unity can give us all a little bit of inspiration.

Roosevelt Island Tidal Energy Project Moves Forward

While the south end of Roosevelt Island prepares to become the host site of the new Cornell/Technion Applied Sciences Campus, the waters off the north end of the Island will soon be home to another kind of groundbreaking innovation. Last month the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission granted Verdant Power the first-ever 10-year license to create a tidal wave energy plant right here in the East River. Verdant launched a pilot version of the project in 2002, culminating with the delivery of electricity to Gristedes and Motorgate. The expanded field of underwater windmills, to be located in the waters north of the Roosevelt Island Bridge, is projected to supply electricity to more than 9,500 homes on the Island by 2015. Dubbed the Roosevelt Island Tidal Energy (RITE) project, it is another example of the Island a leader in innovation and green technology, not only for the city, but for the world as well.

More Than 2.1 Million Ride Tram in 2011

RIOC is excited to announce that a record 2,109,878 people rode our Tram in 2011, the first full year since the Tramway modernization project was completed. That’s over 5,700 riders per day! The new Tram system, which opened in November 2010, offers a quicker, smoother, safer ride, while simultaneously using less electricity – not to mention those breathtaking views of the Manhattan skyline. Also, you’ve probably noticed that it doesn’t shut down during inclement weather as frequently as the old Tram did. The new Tram has truly been an innovation in mass transit for residents and visitors alike, and will serve the Island well in the exciting – and busy – years ahead.

NYPD and FDNY Use Tram for Periodic Training

If you were near the Tram between 10 am and 2 pm this past Wednesday, you may have noticed NYPD officers conducting exercises on one of the cars. They were part of routine training sessions that NYPD and FDNY periodically conduct on the Tram to test their equipment. These sessions take place only during off-peak hours and use only one car, so that regular ridership on the other car is unaffected. RIOC always distributes an advisory via email before each training sessions to let residents know when they will occur. To subscribe and receive our advisories, you can send an email to subscribe@rioc.com.

Apps Track Red Buses

Last week RIOC received word that the iOS RBT Red Bus Tracking App wasn’t functioning properly. This is a good opportunity to explain how riders can use their mobile devices to track buses’ progress, for those who aren’t aware. A service called NextBus tracks RIOC’s Red Buses, which are equipped with a GPS system. Riders can see the location of each bus on www.nextbus.com, and by accessing the aforementioned RBT App or the R.I. Bus Tracker App for Android devices. You can plan your trip by checking the next arrival times at the stop closest to you. When the RBT App stopped working last week, RIOC discovered that NextBus was still showing the location of all the buses, and thus the problem was with the app, not the GPS. At the risk of getting too technical, it turns out that the app required an update in order to continue communicating with NextBus’ GPS. As of the evening of February 2, the RBT App was back up and running. We hope you will take advantage of this technology to make your travel as smooth as possible.

Grandparents Safety Day

I encourage seniors and their grandchildren to come out to our annual Grandparents Safety Day on Thursday, February 23 at the Roosevelt Island Senior Center (546 Main Street), starting at 11 am. Co-sponsored by RIOC’s Public Safety Department and Safe Kids NYC, the event will feature safety tips, goodie bags and light refreshments. It’s part of the Public Safety Department’s on-going efforts to keep citizens young and old safe.

Black History Month Celebration

Please join us on Saturday February 25 at the Senior Center as we celebrate the achievements and contributions of African Americans throughout history with music, poetry and dance. Festivities begin at 2 pm and light refreshments will be served. RIOC is proud to partner with the Roosevelt Island Senior Association to bring you this fun event.