Roosevelt Island's aerial Tramway was back in service Saturday, and the Residents Association (RIRA) was attributing its return to citizen involvement and the pressure created by Wednesday's Town Meeting.

"All indications are that RIOC (the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation) was looking for excuses to keep the Tram down as long as possible," said Patrick Stewart, RIRA President. "It's back because the community spoke clearly and loudly, and its voice was heard in Albany."

But Stewart points out there has been little gain. "We're right back where we were a couple of weeks ago," he said late Saturday. "We have the Tramway back in spite of RIOC's stalling, but we still have Jerome Blue and a bunch of other incompetents in charge at 591 Main Street, we still have no Console Operators on duty at the Tramway, and residents still have little voice in how this Island is run.

"We have to do something about those problems, and we have to do it now." Stewart urged residents to stay involved and committed. "We can't let up just because we've got the Tram back," he said. "There's a great deal more to do that's going to need constant pressure from residents. And remember þ this is an election year for the Governor and Senator D'Amato."

Stewart attributes involvement of the Governor's office to resident activity, ranging from a rally for independence held July 4, through an October 27 protest march from the Manhattan Tram station to the Governor's Manhattan office, to Wednesday's Town Meeting.

• Removal of Jerome Blue from the Presidency of RIOC. "Blue serves at the Governor's pleasure," Stewart pointed out Saturday, "and so far the Governor's pleasure appears to be to allow Blue to continue to ruin Roosevelt Island in every way possible."
• Restoration of Console Operators on the Tramway. Stewart, and at least some members of the Tramway staff, believe the January 27 collision -- in which a barge-based construction crane being used in work on the Queensboro Bridge damaged Cabin #1 -- would not have happened if a Console Operator had been on duty in the booth above the Roosevelt Island platform. "RIOC was warned, repeatedly, about eliminating this important position," Stewart said, "and Blue did it anyway, trying to save a few dollars at the expense of passenger safety. Now we know the results: No saving, and a dozen people injured unnecessarily." Stewart has accused RIOC of "gross negligence." There has been no satisfactory response from RIOC.
• Resident representation on the RIOC Board of Directors. The Governor appoints the Board, but Mayor Rudy Giuliani last week nominated Stewart and Susan Whitaker, who chairs the Roosevelt Island Council of Organizations, to serve on the Board. If the Governor accepts those nominations and the State Senate confirms both, there will be four residents on the Board -- unless the Governor terminates the terms of David Kraut and Ron Vass, whose terms have actually expired.
• In the longer term, the right to conduct an Island-wide election for members of the RIOC Board, or whatever replaces RIOC.
• A say in who replaces Blue.
• The Metrocard, with free transfers to and from MTA subways and buses, for the Tramway.
• An adequate State subsidy for operation of Roosevelt Island. Stewart disputes claims by Blue that Roosevelt Island has reached budgetary self-sufficiency. State subsidies were originally supposed to continue until the Island's population reached 20,000.

"For these objectives to be accomplished," says Stewart, "it's clear that the first step is to get rid of Blue."

At various times over the past several months, RIRA and other Island organizations have called for a real voice in development of Southtown (the area just north of the Tramway) and Southpoint, the Southern tip of the Island. While RIOC has held meetings of various citizen advisory boards, RIRA calls them "a sham." According to Stewart, "These meetings are scheduled at a time inconvenient for the majority of residents, and the way they are conducted makes it clear they're only for show þ something to put down on paper to claim the community has been consulted."

RIOC has, in fact, scheduled a "President's Meeting" for tomorrow (Tuesday, February 10), at 12:00 noon, a time when most Island activists are at work. A RIOC "inter-office memorandum" says "community invited" and lists these topics: Budget, Rivercross privatization, the Counseling in Schools program, and the Library. (Operation of the Library is about to be taken over by the New York Public Library, but has been delayed for several weeks, waiting for a lease agreement from RIOC.) Over the weekend, no RIOC spokesperson was available to comment.