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Tram Systems Show
Same Faults in
In last week’s City Council hearing, both David Keller and Laurence Marie Brodsky, who were rescued from the Island-bound cabin, made a point of telling City Council Transportation Committee members that the Tramway should be restored to service. Keller: The Roosevelt Island Tramway is not just a form of transportation or a tourist attraction. It is part of Roosevelt Island’s identity and our history. My first day on Roosevelt Island, I rode the Tramway, and for those four years, it began my day and ended my day. Growing up on Roosevelt Island, when you want to see a movie with your friends, or head into Manhattan, everyone agreed on a time to meet at the Tram. It was our family car. The Tram’s importance should not be underestimated. While there is a subway on Roosevelt Island, it is not appropriate for all residents. Children and adolescents who may have trouble navigating the subway without parents, can use the Tramway safely and with ease. Many people on Roosevelt Island are elderly or disabled. They reside in special housing set aside for them, or in long-term-care facilities. For them, being able to take the Tramway to Manhattan or with their friends, allows them to lead an active life. Without the Tram, many would be trapped on Roosevelt Island. Furthermore, new housing construction on Roosevelt Island is increasing the population from about 8 or 9,000 to maybe 16,000, within a few years. The F train is already inadequate to deal with the rush-hour population, which, if you’ve ever waited for the F train on Roosevelt Island, you have to wait several trains before you can actually get on. The burden of additional riders without the Tram to take them to the hospitals and other locations on the East Side will make the F train intolerable. Being stuck in the Tram for almost eleven hours was inconvenient, but I never trusted the need for the Tram. I’d like to tell the Governor, Mayor Bloomberg, and the City Council, I want to ride the Tram again. Governor Pataki should see that the Tram is restored and that the Tramway receives the appropriate funding to run safely and reliably. Brodsky: You have to understand – I love the Tram, it should be absolutely forever on Roosevelt Island and Manhattan. Keller said that, as much as he feels the Tram should return, he now has doubts about RIOC: "The breakdown of the Tram led me to question the management and leadership of RIOC. Many months ago, a similar problem existed, and this was not thoroughly and properly examined and fixed. My confidence in the leadership of RIOC is shaken. An in-depth examination of RIOC is long overdue. Fix RIOC, fix the Tramway. We need both running at maximum efficiency."
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