Says the Space Cadet: “…and the Sheldon J. Haynes Parking Area remains empty while righteous residents drive around looking for spaces.”
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
“Please be advised, as New York City prepares for the remnants of tropical storm Ida, which has been downgraded to a depression, RIOC will be monitoring its progress and providing the community with any pertinent updates regarding transportation services and facility closures on the island.”
That’s the breathless run-on sentence RIOC pitched on Tuesday afternoon, but follow through was weak and incomplete. Tasks are immeasurably hard to complete when nobody’s around to do them.
It served as a reminder of the summer afternoon when Haynes’s predecessor, Leslie Torres, hightailed it for a vacation as a hurricane bore down on Roosevelt Island.
Anyway, the only update from RIOC thereafter was a note, late in the evening after hours of heavy rain and powerful winds, that the F Train was shut down. But even that was not followed up by any notice that it returned to service before 5:00 a.m.
So, Islanders on either side of the East River were left to assume that the Tram continued operating as 60 mile per hour winds raked the city and lightning bolts cut jagged lines under the clouds… And that MTA buses were on schedule.
They were not.
And completing the portrait of negligence, RIOC never relayed Mayor Bill de Blasio’s citywide State of Emergency declaration restricting vehicle travel to emergencies only.
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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