Roosevelt Island Manhattan Tram Station Platform Renovations Causing Difficulties For Baby Strollers And Wheelchairs - RIOC Says Additional Signage And Tram Attendant Will Help

The Roosevelt Island Tram Stations Platform Repairs project began last July 26 and is expected to be completed by the end of December. During this time, only a single Tram Cabin is in operation, often resulting in very, very long lines for riders. Also, the reconfiguring of the Manhattan Tram Station passageway

and turnstyle

during renovations has caused difficulties for riders with strollers and wheelchairs to access the Tram Platform.

For example, Roosevelt Island Mom Jennie Smith shares this November 3 message she sent to Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) President Susan Rosenthal:

Good Morning Ms. Rosenthal,

I just wanted to let you know about an experience that I had last evening with hopes you will encourage the tram operators to have more consideration for families with strollers and the disabled population of this island .

The new closure due to the renovation on the Manhattan side does not have a gate by the turnstile. I didn't realize this and the tram operator told me the only solution was to take both of my 1.5 year olds out, fold the stroller, put the stroller over the turnstile and let the kids run under. When I flatly said no, I wasn't going to do that, he then said with much irritation that it was ok that I turn around, go back to the area of the elevator on the south area of the platform where there is an emergency gate that he let me through with much hesitation.

My point is, this should be the standard for strollers at this time and all others that may have mobility issues. I hope they are not giving wheelchair bound people the same hard time.

Also, the path to the turnstile is very narrow and having to swipe at the turnstile and then having to back up while a line is forming is near impossible for me who is strong on my feet and is a falls hazard for anyone with mobility issues. I'm sure this is a violation of the ADA act.

There should be a sign and an attendant manning the emergency gate area to avoid this congestion and encouraging those who need it to use the gate, rather than rolling their eyes, huffing and puffing and suggesting there is no other way except the turnstile.

I looks forward to your reply on this matter,

During the November 9 RIOC Real Estate Development Advisory Committee meeting (audio web cast of meeting here), I asked about Manhattan Tram Station access for strollers and wheelchairs.

RIOC Vice President of Operations Shelton Haynes responded that he was aware of the problem and that additional signage and Tram Attendant assistance will be made available



to make it easier for strollers and wheelchairs to use the emergency gate.

RIOC Director Faye Christian added that tourists and others should be encouraged by RIOC staff to move up as close to the front of the platform as possible

in order to lessen the length of lines.

RIOC Engineering Consultant Mike Russo also reported that the Tram Platform repair project is on schedule for substantial completion by the end of December although there may still be some punch list items to be finished in January.

Roosevelt Island Tram Gates Wide Open, Bikes Roll In With Free Entry - Residents Asks Why Bother Paying?

A Roosevelt Island resident shares this photo and reports

Come on in, free entry

Wide open gate at tram...no attendant..three bikes just rolled in. Why do the rest of us buy fare cards?

It was open for at least 2 tram runs. Today around 10.45 am

RIRA Island Services Committee Report - Investigating Roosevelt Island Garden Club Discrimination Against Disabled, Updates On Tram Elevator And Station Gate, Sportspark Clean Up, Rats & Pigeons, New Public Library, Boy Scouts & Toddler Swim Classes

 November 2013 Image Of Rat On Roosevelt Island Promenade Bench From Irena Hage

Below is the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Island Services Committee (ISC) report to the October 2014 Common Council Meeting submitted by Chair Aaron Hamburger

The ISC met 9/22/14 with 7 members present from the total membership of 12:

Manhattan Tram Elevator – We’re waiting for RIOC to bid this project. They plan to first bid the design of the new elevators. Then, they will actually bid the job. Timing is still uncertain, but our estimate is the new elevator will not be available until very late 2015. RIOC has accepted ISC’s request that the Red Bus operate to Manhattan whenever the elevators are out‐of‐service on a weekend with the “F” train running in only one direction.

Tram Gate at RI Station ‐ Access to the Tram is working reasonable well during the morning rush hour with a Public Safety officer opening the gates. We are now going to press RIOC to change the wording on the gate sign to eliminate the threat of a summons if a passenger opens the gate. Proposed wording will be submitted to Cy Opperman, Director of Transportation.

Condition of Sportspark Facilities – Some clean‐up and improvements have been made at Sportspark, but much remains to be done to make Sportspark a first class facility.

New Public Library ‐ Installation of new windows was completed by RIOC for the first floor of 504 Main. We expect that work will now begin to renovate the space for the new library. We don’t have an official date for the start of operations at the new site, but it’s unlikely that we’ll have a new library before 2016.

Swim Classes for Babies and Toddlers – The Fall session will start in early October. We will now work with Sportspark’s management to make these classes part of their annual schedule.

Control of Rats and Pigeons on RI ‐ We will request that Raye Schwartz draft a comprehensive proposal which will be presented to RIOC.

Boy Scouts – A meeting is being scheduled for early October of people and groups interested in restarting a Boy Scout troop on RI. Two possible troop leaders have been identified.

Management of the Garden Club – ISC will reactivate the Garden Club(GC) as an active issue as we recognize that there are many problems with the management and operation of the GC. One problem, among many, is the arbitrary issuing of new rules which chiefly are designed to impact only a few people. ISC continues to maintain that the GC is a “service” organization recognized and funded by RIOC to provide gardening opportunities for RI.

Here's Mr. Hamburger's presentation of the ISC Report to the October 1 RIRA Common Council Meeting. Mr. Hamburger added the Roosevelt Island Garden Club is being operated as a private club and that ISC will investigate allegations of Roosevelt Island Garden Club discrimination against the disabled. Mr. Hamburger received appreciation



from another RIRA member for going after the rats.

RIRA Island Services Committee Report On Roosevelt Island Garden Club, Boy Scouts, FDR Park, Tram Elevators/Gate, New Library And Blackwell Park Playground

 Image Of Roosevelt Island Community Garden Plot

Below is the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Island Services Committee (ISC) March 2014 Report to the RIRA Common Council.

RIRA – ISLAND SERVICES COMMITTEE (ISC)
REPORT TO COMMON COUNCIL – 3/5/14

The ISC didn’t meet in February.

Updates on active issues:

Management of the Garden Club – In a 2/26/14 meeting with the Garden Club (GB) to discuss proposed measures to increase the number of plots to meet the demands of RI residents, the GB indicated they were not interested in using some of the border areas for gardening. They claimed shade from near-by trees and tree roots would make these areas unsuitable for gardening. They also believe that very few people would be interested in border plots as they would be smaller than the standard plots. The GB also not interested in asking RIOC for more gardening land and in giving RI residents priority in awarding plots. The only action they are willing to take is to prune the waiting list and the membership rolls to remove uninterested people and members who are not using their plots as specified in the By-Laws.

Boy Scouts – Frank France is working with Geof Kerr and Fr. Kevin Malick (of the Catholic parish) to restart the Boy Scouts. He expects we may be able to get a troop going before this summer.

4 Freedoms/FDR Park - In an exchange of e-mails between Eva Bosbach and a Park official, we learned that FDR park has provided an eating area with tables and chairs for visitors to use and they will also operate a food stand during the summer. Transportation for disabled people will be provided from the subway station and the Tram to the Memorial site using golf carts. However, visitors will need to call ahead to get this service.

Tram Elevators – The new maintenance procedures seems to be working as there have been no elevator break downs in the last 4 -5 weeks. A RFP to replace the elevators is ready to be issued.

New Public Library – Demolishment of the first floor interior of 504 Main St. is completed. Installation of new windows is underway. Start-up of the new library is still scheduled for 2017.

Blackwell Park Playground – Signs and some new equipment are being installed in the children’s playground to make the space more suitable and safer for toddlers. Some of the old toddlers equipment will be installed this spring in a yet to be selected area.

Tram Gate At RI Station – We are continuing to work with RIOC to provided quick access to the Tram for baby strollers, the disabled and bikes. The problem still remains but we’re hopeful one of our proposed solutions will be implemented by RIOC in the near future.

Aaron Hamburger, Chair – RIRA’s ISC

Public Safety Officer Says Not Her Job To Open Roosevelt Island Tram Gate Entrance For Dad With Daughter and Stroller Despite RIOC Policy That Says It Is Her Job

A Roosevelt Island Dad reports on the ongoing difficulties of parents with baby strollers at the Roosevelt Island Tram gate entrance. According to the Dad:

On or about 815am on Wednesday morning, May 9, 2013, I approached the tram with my daughter as we do each morning as I take her to preschool in Manhattan as I go to work. That morning, like many mornings, there was no attendant stationed at the booth to open the security gate for parents who have young children with strollers.

That morning, there was a female Public Safety Officer stationed in the booth.... I swiped my card and I asked the Officer if she would open the gate so I could enter with the stroller. My daughter wanted to go in to be with her friends who were waiting for the tram with their mother and she also wanted me to come with her.

The Officer said it was not her job to open the gate. I then asked her if she would contact someone who would and she refused to do that. Meanwhile my daughter was getting anxious to enter to be with her friends and asking me to come.

 I told the Officer that other Public Safety Officers open the gate when the tram employees are not around but she still refused and became very un professional and hostile towards me. My daughter started to cry and panic reacting to the Officer’s un professional conduct and temper.

Finally the tram came and the operator opened the gate but the Officer continued her hostility towards me and my poor daughter cried all the way over on the tram. The Officer blamed me for causing my daughter to cry when in fact it was her misconduct which created the situation. Public Safety is to assist the public. It is not their job to treat us like thugs or criminals but to help us. 

Last month, Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Common Council Member Eva Bosbach sent the following letter to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC)

A few months ago on behalf of the Roosevelt Island Parents Network and the RIRA Island Services Committee I brought up the problem of the access to the Tram boarding area for parents with strollers, which also affects people in wheelchairs and bikers.

Parents with strollers have to wait until someone from the Tram personnel, usually the Tram conductor, comes to open the gate for them. While the cabins are not in the station, all other passengers can go through the turnstiles and pre-load. Especially during long winter months like this year, this can affect the health of the residents and their babies. For example, mothers who just gave birth and their newborns have to wait in the cold in front of the gate and cannot get to the heaters of the pre-boarding area. But even in warmer times, the current situation is unfair and affects timing: Especially in rush hour a parent or another care-giver can miss the Tram even though she or he was the first one at the station – but had to wait for the gate to be opened while everybody else pre-loaded – causing the parent to be late for work or another appointment.

We suggested a number of solutions to RIOC and we are very pleased to have received a positive progress report last week by RIOCʼs Community Relations Specialist Erica Spencer-El. As a short-term solution, an additional staffer has been assigned who should now assist with opening the gate during rush hours. Unfortunately there is still feed-back from parents that this is not always the case. In the long run the plan is to hire an extra person designated to opening the gate and supervising the whole area permanently. We hope this can happen as soon as possible. On behalf of the many parents who live on Roosevelt Island or visit it, as well as the wheelchair- users and bikers we would like to thank RIOC for the progress already made and for further acting on this issue!

The issue of Baby Stroller access to the Roosevelt Island Tram entrance gate

was discussed during the February 13 RIOC Operations Committee meeting. RIOC Director Michael Shinozaki said:

... all Public Safety Officers should be instructed to assist parents, when feasible, with opening the Tram Station Entrance Gate door when the Public Safety Officer is stationed in the area....

Apparently the message has not been received by all of the Public Safety Officers as discovered by the Roosevelt Island Dad last Wednesday morning.

Here's the full RIOC Operations Committee discussion of the Roosevelt Island Tram Gate Entrance Baby Stroller Issue.

Final Report From Acting RIOC President Don Lewis - Condolences To Public Safety Officer Michael's Family, Reopening Of Lighthouse Park This Week, Pier NYC Waterfront Restaurant May Not Open, Roosevelt Island Tram Access Gate, iDig2 Learn Earth Day Celebration And More

As reported yesterday, the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) has a new permanent President, Charlene Indelicato. Acting RIOC President Don Lewis

 Image Of Acting RIOC President Don Lewis From RIOC

will return to his previous position as RIOC General Counsel. At last night's RIOC Board Meeting, Mr. Lewis gave his final President's Report to the Board



and  sends the following report to Roosevelt Island residents.

I am deeply saddened to begin this week’s column by reporting that Frensheria D. Michael, an Officer of the Roosevelt Island Public Safety Department, passed away on Sunday, March 31. Officer Michael served in the PSD for 14 years and was widely respected by her fellow officers and the Roosevelt Island community. Officer Michael was a consummate professional and a truly wonderful individual. Her amazing presence will be dearly missed. (For additional information on Officer Michael, please see RIOC's statement.)

Pier NYC Update

We are aware that Pier NYC was an Island attraction that was thoroughly enjoyed last year by many Island residents and visitors. Given the overwhelming success and support for the waterfront establishment, we would very much like to see it happen again this year. Unfortunately, due to damage to the wooden portion of the Pier as a result of Superstorm Sandy, as well as the recent collapse of the paved portion of the Pier, we cannot guarantee that the site will be safe for opening in May. We will continue to work diligently in an effort to overcome the unfortunate obstacles we have encountered.

Reopening of Lighthouse Park

As you likely know, Lighthouse Park sustained heavy damages from Superstorm Sandy and has been closed since last Fall. Our Maintenance and Grounds crews, with help from outside contractors, worked through the winter months so that the park would be open for warmer days in the spring. This week we will open the park for residents and island visitors. We will need to keep a small portion of the park closed until both pedestrian bridges and lighting around the Lighthouse are replaced, which we expect to be done in the next few weeks.

Tram Access Gate

Certain members of our community – parents with strollers, folks with bicycles, and disabled residents – have informed us that they are having difficulty getting through the Tram access gate. We are looking into permanent solutions, but in the meantime, we are posting an extra Tram employee at the gate during morning and afternoon rush hours when the need is greatest to help people get through the gate and onto the platform quickly and safely.

iDig2Learn Earth Day Celebration

Island residents are encouraged to come to iDig2Learn’s “Love Your Block, Love Your Earth” event on Saturday, April 20, beginning at 10:00 am and continuing throughout the afternoon. As an Earth Day celebration for kids and adults, the event will include flower planting and other activities to beautify our island, with a special focus on the plaza in front of Gristedes and Motorgate. For more details or to volunteer contact iDig2Learn@gmail.com

This event is made possible by a grant from the Citizens Committee for NYC and NYC Service in collaboration with the Roosevelt Island PTA, the RI Youth Program, P.S./ I.S. 217, RIOC, RIRA, Gristedes, Urban American, the Hudson Companies and Starbucks. A special "thank you" goes to Island resident Christine Delfico who spearheaded this project.

Mommy and Me Swim Classes

Sportspark is offering new Mommy and Me swim classes in a ten-week program starting on April 3. The classes will take place on Wednesdays from 10:30 to 11:30 am. Designed for babies and toddlers aged 6-to-36 months, the sessions will feature dipping, floating, splashing, songs, games and other fun-filled activities. The cost is $5.00 per family on a drop-in basis.

Motorgate Gallery Opening

I would like to thank all of the folks who attended last month’s Grand Opening of the Motorgate Gallery, including Gallery RIVAA President Tad Sudol, RIOC staff, RIOC Directors Margie Smith and Howard Polivy, the editors of Clog magazine who were on to launch their newest issue and, of course, the artists and residents of Roosevelt Island. We have received a good deal of positive feedback about the Gallery, and we are delighted that it will be a showcase of our artistic community for years to come.

The Votes Are In…

We have tallied votes for the films the community would like to see this year during RIOC’s Summer Outdoor Movie Series at Southpoint Park. The following wonderful mix of old favorites and new blockbusters were chosen: Top Gun (1986), Coming to America (1988), Brave (2012), Star Wars (1977), The Hunger Games (2012), and Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961). Thank you to everyone who voted. Stay tuned for an announcement of the dates for each screening. We’re looking forward to another great summer of movies and festivities at Southpoint Park.

Friends of Southpoint Park

The Friends of Southpoint Park are looking for new volunteers to help with weeding at the park this spring and summer. There will be an orientation for new volunteers on April 13. If you are interested, please contact April Ward at sosgardenfriends@gmail.com.

Following last night's Board meeting, RIOC Director Margie Smith and others thanked Mr. Lewis for his service as Acting RIOC President during difficult time for the Corporation.

RIOC Directors Discuss Improving Baby Stroller Access To Roosevelt Island Tram Station - Will Ask MTA For Help And Instruct Public Safety Officers To Provide Assistance

Reported previously on Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Common Council Member and Mom Eva Bosbach's efforts to make it easier for parents with strollers

 to enter the Roosevelt Island Tram Station. According to Ms. Bosbach:

...Since the large reconstruction of the Tram, I keep receiving complaints from parents with strollers about the Tram access specifically for this group of residents. Because the strollers do not fit through the regular turnstiles and there is no other possibility to swipe the card and pre-board for the Tram, parents with strollers have to wait until someone from the Tram personnel comes to open the gate for them. All other residents and passengers who pay can go through and pre-load. This situation is unfair, affects timing (sometimes a parent misses the Tram even though she or he was the first one at the station but had to wait for someone to open the gate and in the mean-time everybody else pre-loaded and filled the Tram once it came so that there was no space left for the parent with stroller). But more importantly, it also affects the health of the residents and their babies, as for example new moms who just gave birth or newborns in strollers have to wait in the cold in front of the gate and cannot get to the heaters.

Ideas for a solution include:

- add heaters and a bench outside (area where a weather-protected waiting room existed in the past)

- provide the gate with a buzzer and a camera, so that the personnel upstairs controlling the system can see who wants to use the gate and can buzz the parent with the stroller through

- assign a staff person to be on site permanently to open the gate (like on the Manhattan side of the Tram), at least during rush hours

- work with Public safety on making it a part of the job description of the PS person in the booth to open the door if there is a parent with stroller waiting (since they sit there anyway and 8 of 10 of the PS officers are helpful and open the gate, but some do not, so obviously they currently don't have to)

- install a special circulating door (like in zoos) which can be used for a stroller - has enough room to turn a stroller plus a person through to the other side after you swiped your Metro Card - since the Tram will be shut down during non-rush hours in the following weeks anyway, perhaps this could be added to the planned renovations of the station

- work with MTA on a special Metrocard for parents with strollers, similar to the one for wheel chair users, which can open the gate automatically after the card has been swiped

- work with MTA on an receipt issuing machine for the gate which could be used if a person does not fit through the regular door and needs to use the gate - similar like for a Manhattan express bus, the machine would handle out a receipt and open the gate for the person to access the waiting area, but only after payment took place plus the receipt would provide a proof of payment.

This issue is an ongoing source of complaints in the large community of parents on Roosevelt Island....

On behalf of all parents, especially the ones with young babies, I ask you to act toward a solution of this issue as soon as possible, as the progressing winter continues and worsens the problem....

Some residents do not think parents with strollers should be offered added assistance. According to this comment from previous post:

Give me a break. Here we go with the stroller mafia, angling to take over yet another crowded conveyance.

Open strollers have no place on public transit, particularly at peak times.

During rush hours and subway outages, when the crowd waiting to "pre-board" is dense, a considerate parent should choose an alternate means to carry their child on the tram, one that doesn't take up as much space as an open stroller.

Outside of rush hours and subway outages, the "pre-board" crowd is not likely to be dense enough to cause a parent to be left behind, and we all have the luxury of minimizing our wait by timing our arrival at the station to coincide with the tram schedule....

The issue was discussed at the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Board of Directors Operations committee meeting yesterday (audio webcast of entire meeting is here). The RIOC Directors were told by RIOC Director of Engineering Alex Snedkov that any change to the Tram Station Access Gate such as

• a buzzer for worker above to allow parent with stroller to enter through the gate after paying at turnstile or 
• a special card for parents with strollers

 would have to receive the permission of the MTA.

RIOC Director Michael Shinozaki asked Mr. Snedkow to contact the MTA and try to work out a solution. Mr. Shinozaki also said that all Public Safety Officers should be instructed to assist parents, when feasible, with opening the Tram Station Entrance Gate door when the Public Safety Officer is stationed in the area.

Here's video of the discussion.



UPDATE 4/28 - Ms. Bosbach shares this message she sent to RIOC:

To RIOC:
A few months ago on behalf of the Roosevelt Island Parents Network and the RIRA Island Services Committee I brought up the problem of the access to the Tram boarding area for parents with strollers, which also affects people in wheelchairs and bikers.

Parents with strollers have to wait until someone from the Tram personnel, usually the Tram conductor, comes to open the gate for them. While the cabins are not in the station, all other passengers can go through the turnstiles and pre-load. Especially during long winter months like this year, this can affect the health of the residents and their babies. For example, mothers who just gave birth and their newborns have to wait in the cold in front of the gate and cannot get to the heaters of the pre-boarding area. But even in warmer times, the current situation is unfair and affects timing: Especially in rush hour a parent or another care-giver can miss the Tram even though she or he was the first one at the station – but had to wait for the gate to be opened while everybody else pre-loaded – causing the parent to be late for work or another appointment.

We suggested a number of solutions to RIOC and we are very pleased to have received a positive progress report last week by RIOCʼs Community Relations Specialist Erica Spencer-El. As a short-term solution, an additional staffer has been assigned who should now assist with opening the gate during rush hours. Unfortunately there is still feed-back from parents that this is not always the case. In the long run the plan is to hire an extra person designated to opening the gate and supervising the whole area permanently. We hope this can happen as soon as possible. On behalf of the many parents who live on Roosevelt Island or visit it, as well as the wheelchair- users and bikers we would like to thank RIOC for the progress already made and for further acting on this issue!

Roosevelt Island Mom Seeking Solutions For Baby Stroller Access At Tram Gate - Asks RIOC For Help

Reported earlier this month about a Roosevelt Island Mom successfully getting the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) to fix a playground swing that had been broken for over a year. Now that Mom, Eva Bosbach, is trying to resolve a more difficult problem.

Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Common Council Member and Mom Eva Bosbach shares this request she sent last week to Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Chief Engineer Alex Snedkov:

I have been in touch with Donald Lewis about a broken swing at a RI play ground last week (thank you again, Donald, for acting so quickly on that!) and announced that I will be contacting RIOC with a few other issues in the next days.

The following issue is more complex, but also perhaps more important as the effects of the current situation cannot be avoided and have implications for the health of residents and their babies. It concerns the access to the Roosevelt Island Tram by parents with strollers.

I am writing to you in my capacity as the coordinator of the Roosevelt Island Parents Network (currently 117 families here on the island), as the leader of the Island Kids baby group, as a RIRA Common Council representative for Southtown and a member of the RIRA Island Services committee.

The issue has been discussed at the last RIRA Island Services Committee meeting on 1/9/2013 and has been decided to be taken action on....

Since the large reconstruction of the Tram, I keep receiving complaints from parents with strollers about the Tram access specifically for this group of residents. Because the strollers do not fit through the regular turnstiles and there is no other possibility to swipe the card and pre-board for the Tram, parents with strollers have to wait until someone from the Tram personnel comes to open the gate for them. All other residents and passengers who pay can go through and pre-load. This situation is unfair, affects timing (sometimes a parent misses the Tram even though she or he was the first one at the station but had to wait for someone to open the gate and in the mean-time everybody else pre-loaded and filled the Tram once it came so that there was no space left for the parent with stroller). But more importantly, it also affects the health of the residents and their babies, as for example new moms who just gave birth or newborns in strollers have to wait in the cold in front of the gate and cannot get to the heaters.

Ideas for a solution include:

- add heaters and a bench outside (area where a weather-protected waiting room existed in the past)

- provide the gate with a buzzer and a camera, so that the personnel upstairs controlling the system can see who wants to use the gate and can buzz the parent with the stroller through

- assign a staff person to be on site permanently to open the gate (like on the Manhattan side of the Tram), at least during rush hours

- work with Public safety on making it a part of the job description of the PS person in the booth to open the door if there is a parent with stroller waiting (since they sit there anyway and 8 of 10 of the PS officers are helpful and open the gate, but some do not, so obviously they currently don't have to)

- install a special circulating door (like in zoos) which can be used for a stroller - has enough room to turn a stroller plus a person through to the other side after you swiped your Metro Card - since the Tram will be shut down during non-rush hours in the following weeks anyway, perhaps this could be added to the planned renovations of the station

- work with MTA on a special Metrocard for parents with strollers, similar to the one for wheel chair users, which can open the gate automatically after the card has been swiped

- work with MTA on an receipt issuing machine for the gate which could be used if a person does not fit through the regular door and needs to use the gate - similar like for a Manhattan express bus, the machine would handle out a receipt and open the gate for the person to access the waiting area, but only after payment took place plus the receipt would provide a proof of payment.

This issue is an ongoing source of complaints in the large community of parents on Roosevelt Island....

On behalf of all parents, especially the ones with young babies, I ask you to act toward a solution of this issue as soon as possible, as the progressing winter continues and worsens the problem.

Thank you very much,

Ms. Bosbach demonstrates the problem by swiping her metro card at the turnstyly

and then waiting in the cold

until the Tram Gate can be opened before entering the Boarding Area

and the Tram.

Hopefully a resolution can be found quickly.