The frequently out of service Roosevelt Island Tram Station elevators have been a constant headache for Roosevelt Island parents with strollers, disabled residents and others who need the elevators to use the Manhattan Tram Station.
Last week, users of the Roosevelt Island Tram Station elevators became even more worried and frustrated when they learned that the F Train Lexington 63rd Street Station elevator(s) were going out of service for
repairs from July 15 - February 2015:
There are signs up that there will be no elevator service at 63/ Lex station from 7/15
until February 15.
The MTA Elevator status page indicates that it is the street to mezzanine elevator that is being repaired and going out of service.
Last Monday, I asked Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (
RIOC) President Charlene Indelicato how the MTA elevator announcement will affect Roosevelt Island residents:
... As you know this will create difficulties for Roosevelt Island residents in wheelchairs, parents with strollers and others who need the elevator to get to the street, particularly when the Roosevelt Island Tram elevators are not working.
Does RIOC have any statement on the current status of Tram Elevator replacement and if any additional plans are being contemplated in view of the Lexington/63 Street F Train elevator being out of service for the next 7 months.
Ms. Indelicato responded later that day:
Getting together a time line and the measures we have taken to insure that the elevators are working.
I do realize that many people are severely inconvenienced and I hope we may help to somewhat alleviate any problems.
and yesterday provided this Roosevelt Island Tram Elevator status report prepared by RIOC Director of Engineering Jim Mortimer:
Last Friday, 7/11/14, we replaced the interior elevator door on the passenger elevator at the Manhattan Station. We have also scheduled our maintenance crew to clean the track that the door rides on every Friday. This should insure the passenger elevator provides reliable service for the foreseeable future.
Approximately two weeks before that, at the end of June, KONE serviced the red lift. That service coupled with the repairs made previous to that service, which corrected problems with the door contact, should insure reliable service for the red lift.
Additionally, a new service contract is ready to be awarded, where after initial repairs to the elevators, the service company is responsible for all service and repairs thereafter. This contract should start on August 1, 2014. The contract will provide more reliable service for the elevators, because the service company, KONE, will be responsible, at their own cost, for any repairs thereafter.
Finally, proposals for designing and building new elevators at the Tram are due on July 21, 2014. After evaluation of the bids and an award of the contract, we will be able to give you a time line for this work. the work will be sequenced so the red lift will be replaced first followed by the existing passenger elevator, so one elevator will always be in service.
Upon completion of the work, the Manhattan Station will have two new ADA compliant passenger elevators.
The ongoing repair of the existing Manhattan Tram Station elevators and their eventual replacement has been the subject of many
Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Board Of Directors meetings.
Here's Ms. Indelicato speaking on the
Tram Elevator problems at April 10 RIOC Board meeting
and
January 15 RIOC Operations Advisory Committee meeting discussion of subject.
