A partial Tram shutdown is in the works, starting in the next couple of weeks. RIOC’s barely present president/CEO Shelton J. Haynes told the board, last week, but did not see informing the community as necessary.
By David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News

A Partial Tram Shutdown
Reading – mumbling, really – from a prepared PowerPoint, Haynes said the Tram shutdown would start in a couple weeks, but this prompted a rescue. CFO John O’Reilly interrupted, jumping into the Zoom meeting, reminding the absentminded, $200K per year executive that the shutdown would be partial. Only one cabin at a time will be out of service.
Haynes then mumbled something about “three weeks.” But O’Reilly did not rescue him, this time. So, two weeks, three weeks, who cares when you drive to work and have your own private parking area?
The RIOC CEO also mumbled something about working with other forms of transit, buses, etc., but was no more clear than usual. That is, he didn’t really say anything and the board of enablers nodded cheerfully.
As of now, we don’t know a lot because, although a full week passed, RIOC’s alleged Communications Team has not released details. Public Information Officer Amy Smith attended the meeting.
Watch for further information, which we will share when they emerge from behind RIOC’s bunker.
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“I Can Ask”
Chair Fay Christian opened the Operations Advisory Committee on February 12th, reading out member names from a prepared sheet that omitted Melissa Wade. It didn’t feel intentional, but it struck me as odd precisely because it came from something prepared. Lydia Tang gently corrected her, noting that Wade was, in fact, a member of the committee. Wade met the moment with grace, or perhaps she simply wasn’t bothered by it.











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