Are maskless riders still welcome on the Tram and Red Buses? After complaints mount, the answer from RIOC remains, “Yes.” But why?
By David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
Yesterday morning, taking a Red Bus south, I was happy to see every rider wearing a face mask. Maybe, news of the Delta variant and many complaints sunk in.
But there was reason for caution. The open box of free face masks previously in reach of the driver was missing, and the inevitable soon happened.
And RIOC failed the test.
Just after passing a PSD officer parked in a marked car near the tennis bubble, our bus stopped for a homeless man. His face mask was down to his chin.
But he boarded, straight past the driver, without interference. A PSD officer relaxed less than a minute away, but the door closed and the maskless rider took a seat.
Worse yet, the man looked unwell, and his hygiene was poor.
I stepped around him to get off.
Also on the Tram, maskless riders still welcome
I didn’t take a picture of the homeless man because he was sick and vulnerable, and it was mostly a RIOC fail. Again. Had the driver simply asked, I thought he’d have lifted his mask without complaint.
And RIOC continued its policy of forcing riders to either walk or be exposed to the Delta variant ripping through New York.
Then, a reader sent a photo from the Tram, that same afternoon.
Some have criticized The Daily for “shaming” maskless riders. When we see something like this, they say, we should confront the offender, even though bus drivers and Tram operators appear reluctant to.
Who wants to take on this guy?
Not our reader, and we applaud her common sense.
Besides, it’s RIOC we’re shaming. Residents, with no voice in the matter, pay upwards of $25 million every year paying for RIOC’s operations, $4 million of that for Public Safety.
Is it too much expecting them to really, in practice, require face masks in public transit?
More from the Roosevelt Island Daily
- Queens Subway and Far Rockaway Stabbings Spur Police InvestigationsQueens subway and Far Rockaway stabbings on September 30 prompted separate police investigations and community response after two fatal incidents disrupted daily routines.
- Fatal Stabbing on J Train at Woodhaven Boulevard Spurs Subway Safety Concerns in QueensA fatal stabbing on J train at Woodhaven Boulevard raises fresh subway safety concerns in Queens, as NYPD investigates and riders reflect on recent incidents.
- J and M Train Weekend Service Changes: What Riders Need to KnowJ and M train weekend service changes will impact riders for five weekends as crews replace elevated track switches. Here’s what to expect and how to prepare for modified schedules across Brooklyn and Queens.
- Coastal Flooding Disrupts Southeast Queens Streets and TransitCoastal flooding disrupted streets and transit across Southeast Queens as a fall nor’easter brought heavy rain and renewed calls for resilience and improved drainage.
- Nor’easter Brings Slow Streets and Transit Delays Across Queens and NYCAfter the nor’easter, slow streets and transit delays across Queens and NYC greeted commuters. Utility crews continued repairs as normal routines resumed Monday.
The Budget Knew Before the “Emergency”
The demolition began on paper long before the City invoked emergency authority to carry it out. In RIOC’s fiscal 2013-14 budget, the Corporation set aside $7 million for fiscal 2015 for the complete demolition and cleanup of the Roosevelt Island Steam Plant. RIOC called that figure its worst-case scenario, meaning the State corporation might be left responsible for the entire cost.
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