Lawrence G. Reuter, President
New York City Transit Authority
347 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10017

I am writing to ask you most sincerely, if you were in midtown Manhattan and you had to come to Roosevelt Island by subway, after looking over the enclosed signage, could you tell me and 8,300 residents of this Island how to get home? We'd really appreciate any directional help you could offer. We've sure had a hell of a time figuring it out ourselves. Furthermore, there are people not trying to get to Roosevelt Island who have suddenly and without any malice aforethought become temporary residents of a community they probably can't even point out on a map.

An example of our travails follows:

Last Friday evening my husband and I, along with about a dozen other residents came to the platform at 42nd Street and 6th Avenue at about 10:20 p.m. to take what we thought would be the F train which, by all the signage, was running to Roosevelt Island from 10:00 p.m. on over the weekend.

• First, we were told by the conductor, after we'd gotten on one F train and ridden to Rockefeller Plaza station, that his train was "not going to Roosevelt Island but the train coming after this is." We waited and found that when the next train arrived it too was not going to Roosevelt Island.
• We were told by the two men on duty in "the Tower" that the signage saying that the F would be running after 10:00 p.m., meant the train leaving from Coney Island at 10:00 pm!! Is that really how you would have construed the timing on that signage? The next F train, we were told by these fellows, would be coming in at 12:03 a.m.! All they were able or willing to do was to direct us back to 34th Street and the R train "to Roosevelt Island."
• Neither one was willing to come out on the platform and continue to correct the misinformation on the signs. My husband and I stayed for 20-30 minutes talking to and giving fellow residents other possible routes to get themselves home.
• We took the next F train to Lexington and 53rd Street and the "information" people on that platform were completely perplexed by the F trains coming through, as the signage at that station said no F trains would be coming through after 10:00 p.m.! When we questioned the signage, their response was that their superiors had told them nothing and they didn't know what was going on. They could have been at home in bed for all the good they could do anyone.

Ours was not an isolated case. I had met some residents, and a young woman who works on Roosevelt Island, on the Monday morning before our incident. They reported having the same sort of experience the week before.

By way of further example, one sign, on the platform at 6th Avenue and 57th Street, promises a train, "Sat. and Sun., 5 a.m. to 10 p.m." What, exactly, does this mean? Will a train run from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.? If so, which one? Or is it really trying to say that the trains will run from 5:00 a.m. Saturday to 10:00 p.m. Sunday?

You owe us signage that has been proofed by people who know what they're reading about so they understand the context and can, therefore, understand whether the words make sense.

In addition to making your signage absolutely clear, you also need to make sure there are NYCTA people on all the affected train platforms who are knowledgeable about the schedules that impact all of your paying customers. We are utterly confused by re-routing and the poor signage. And we want people who are well and thoroughly instructed and able to give accurate and timely information. You owe us platform oversight, period.

Furthermore, Mr. Reuter, you and the MTA need to make sure that you have English-speaking conductors who, especially when announcing the various re-routings on the PA systems, speak the changes clearly.

Mr. Reuter, we on Roosevelt Island look forward to getting your advice on how to get home each weekend, an apology, some much better signage, and knowledgeable, proactive MTA employees on all the platforms involved in all the "detours."

Sherie L. Helstien
with Yarmila Maranova
Todd Jagerson
Tanya Gussak

To the Editor:

With the change in the West Service Drive has come dangers which did not formerly exist. With the exception of the two pedestrian crosswalk stops in front of the subway, traffic is unimpeded for a five-block stretch. There is no guard rail to protect pedestrians from the bottom of the ramp to the old bus stop. And it doesn't take imagination to envision the damage a car out of control can wreak. Why did they eliminate the bar rail from the subway crosswalk to the old bus stop? Cars are speeding to work at the hospital. And reverse, going home, even though the main street-traffic is strictly controlled by numerous crosswalks. Furthermore, during inclement weather, the speeding cars are splashing dirty water on pedestrians irresponsibly. This is outrageous. A strict 10 m.p.h. should be posted and enforced in this five-block area. A guard rail must be installed to protect walkers where they are vulnerable. Nothing less is acceptable.

I now have had two days to reminisce on the sweet success of last Saturday's RIRA Fun'Raiser. One of my goals, as a member of RIRA, is to reach out to the community by getting more involved with the people who live here as well as the different groups and organizations.

The Fundraising Committee, which I chaired, wanted to have a fun event that welcomed the entire adult community (sorry kids), so we decided to throw a party. Besides a financially-successful evening, the people who attended as well as the music played was extremely diverse, as Roosevelt Island is, and as far as I could tell everyone had a great time.

Although putting on an event like this takes a great deal of planning and hard work, it was well worth it. This was truly a community event. I could not have done it without the amazing fundraising committee made up of RIRA and non-RIRA members. It included: Gwen Almo-Duvar, Judy Arond, Marguerite Camaiore, Dolores Green, Sherie Helstien, Cookie Lugo, Ruth Kolins, Nurit Marcus, Ellior Marcus, Joan Matula, Maritza Salgado, Margie Smith and Fay Vass. My special thanks to d.j. Mike, who kept the room jumping, Charlie DeFino for his constant suggestions and advice, Worth Howe for the lighting, the Common Council members who sold tickets, Trellis for its support, and to those who purchased tables. Thanks also to David and Mickey Bauer, Judy Berdy, Harry DeVine, Charlene Dum‚, Frank Farance, Linda Heimer, David, Ellie and Steve Marcus, Rebecca Ocampo, Marta Poleszczuk, Harry Small, Ron Vass, Aniela White and Willie Morales, for your hard work. Lastly, thanks again to Fay Vass and Margie Smith for all their support and advice.

I'm happy to say that our goals were met. Hope to see you at the next event.

To the Editor:

I read with interest about the struggles our merchants have to keep their businesses profitable (The WIRE, February 10).

However, it is time for our merchants to look at their stores.

These are a few examples of why there is no temptation to shop on the Island:

• The Stationery shop has filthy windows with no displays, and dusty items tossed in the front display windows. The store is in fair condition inside.
• The fish store, now vegetable market, has a stale odor and sorry appearance. From the appearance and the odor, I don't feel the merchandise inside would be fresh.
• M&D Deli has not been renovated, thoroughly cleaned, painted or improved in the 23 years I have lived here. For the last decade I have been amazed by the twine handle on the freezer-cabinet door, instead of a handle.
• The Grog Shop has not been painted or refurbished in those years either.
• The video store has had the same posters and videos in their unwashed windows for years. The inside is more like a flea market than a Main Street store.

It is time for our merchants to look at their own stores and see why we do not shop in them.

None of these shops has to spend a fortune to clean up and make their businesses attractive. But until they clean up, there is no temptation to shop in them and we will go to other stores, either in Queens or Manhattan.

I am probably the biggest booster of Roosevelt Island and its community. It is sad that I cannot be proud of our shops and their appearance. I have hoped for years that the merchants would fix up their stores and that a letter like this would not be necessary.