RIOC negligence is a recurring theme here, but the latest in sleepwalking may take the cake. It has Roosevelt Islanders scratching their heads… How detached from reality on the ground can they be?
By David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
RIOC Negligence and the Partial Tram Shutdown
While we scrambled to put together the best guide for dealing with Tram reductions in service, our readers called out RIOC negligence. We missed it until the emails unsettled a Sunday dedicated to lazy footwall watching. The state agency that never gets it wrong outdid us on lazy, or maybe, it’s just indifference or asleep at the wheel…
Although RIOC repeated, to the same audience, a slapdash advisory about the shutdown, they never stretched beyond their email list. That covers only a tiny fraction of residents. For all the others, nothing. No kiosk postings. No Red Bus notices. And most tellingly, not a word at either Tram Plaza, even though Leitner-Poma put up fences – without instructions – on Roosevelt Island.
We asked around. Maybe we missed something.
“Has anyone seen any notice about the Tram shutdown or shuttle service, other than in the flakey advisory?” we asked.
“Nothing,” said one well-traveled Roosevelt Islander.
A “Very Disappointed Long-Timer” was less generous:
“Sorry, no. Nothing about anything anywhere. Nothing on Red Buses. Nothing on / in Bus Stops. Nothing on kiosks. These folks AGAIN deserve public shaming for failing the community — especially the folks for whom the Tram is their primary means of travel.”
For some, the true, penetrating question is, How long will Albany force us to put up with this mess? We pay for most of it but get this RIOC negligence in return.
If you’re anywhere near Blackwell House, knock on the door. Ask whoever answers to wake up president/CEO Shelton J Haynes from his Rip Van Winkle length slumber. It’s a lot to ask, but maybe he can get his well-paid, 4-member Communications Team to, well… you know, communicate.
More from the Roosevelt Island Daily
- Former NYPD Sergeant Pleads Guilty to Impersonating ICE Agent in Brooklyn Federal CourtA former NYPD sergeant pleaded guilty to impersonating an ICE agent in Brooklyn federal court, highlighting issues of authority, public trust, and the legal process ahead.
- 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.
Who Does This?
At the June 18 meeting of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation’s Real Estate Development Advisory Committee, President and Chief Executive Officer B.J. Jones acknowledged that there had been no progress finding a tenant for the long-discussed medical space on Main Street. Hudson/Related Realty LLC had told him that filling the space, along with other vacant storefronts, was proving more difficult than expected.
