Death of the First Roosevelt Island Tram
Historic Preservation Failure
The first Roosevelt Island Tram made it’s last run across the East River, ten years ago this March. Its replacement is safer and more reliable, but discovered by tourists, it’s not as special.
By David Stone
The first Roosevelt Island Tram lifts off across the East River. Fine Art Photography Print by Deborah Julian ($28) © All rights reserved.
Breakdowns, one forcing high risk rescues, doomed the old Tram. Its big flaw? Out of date technology.
Built in 1976 as the original commuter tram in the U.S., it relied on an integrated pulley system. Cables linked the cabins. More importantly, both had to move at once. Partial shutdowns were impossible.
The answer? Full replacement, cabins, cables and all. That opened in 2010. RIOC crowded the maiden voyage across the East River with politicians eager for credit. A band played, but it wasn’t the same.
Take a ride with me in the final days of the first Roosevelt Island Tram…
In the decade since, the universe discovered the Tram. Safer, reliable service draws tourists, but we lost the intimacy of a ride home with neighbors.
After 33 years, the original Tram cabins went out of service as did the gears and cables they relied on. But what became of them?
RIOC preserved the historic relics.
But although RIOC invests millions in the permanently unusable Smallpox Hospital, the old cabins collect dust. And neglect in a cage behind the Motorgate atrium.
Proposals for reviving them has come from artists at RIVAA as well as the Roosevelt Island Historical Society. But RIOC has not budged, and nothing suggests a change.
RIOC’s priorities for preservation are baffling. Blackwell House closed, three years after restoration was announced. Ribbon cuttings also pushed back and no end in sight.
The Smallpox Hospital, treasured for its links to James Renwick, is a money pit, and the Lighthouse is never quite finished.
The legacy Roosevelt Island Tram cabins? Just an embarrassment of neglect.
Also from the Roosevelt Island Daily News
- So, What Happened to the Haynes Tapes Used in Firing Susan Rosenthal?
Where are the Haynes tapes, if they ever existed at all? The state referred to them in justifying the immediate dismissal of then-President/CEO Susan Rosenthal at RIOC. That was in June 2020. But now, when - Taking Action on Main Street When Dog Love Is Too Much Even for the DogsDog love blossomed on Main Street a few years ago when PupCulture opened its doors and – more importantly – windows. People love dogs. Roosevelt Islanders stopped at the windows and watched dogs frolic in
- No Motorized Vehicles on the West Promenade… ExceptWhen it comes to motorized vehicles, RIOC has two standards. Cars, trucks and ebikes are free to speed and run stop signs and crosswalks as long as they stick to Main Street. But on the
- RIOC’s Board Meets Thursday. Maybe. But It’s Another MessWill RIOC’s Board really meet on Thursday? Given the chaos generated under President/CEO Shelton J. Haynes, it’s hard to tell. There are mixed messages, legally required items missing and so forth. Here’s what we have
- The Curious Tale of Two Fire Hydrants and Public Safety“Hooray, that unsightly and inexplicable fire hydrant barricade has been removed from in front of the deli,” our reader wrote. “However, it is commonplace for trucks to be double parked in front of the hydrant
2 thoughts on “Sad Death Of The First Roosevelt Island Tram, 2010”