RI DAILY

Manhattan's little, quieter island and beyond

Island insights that go beyond the tram.

RI DAILY

Manhattan's little, quieter island and beyond

Reporting Roosevelt Island since sunrise.

The Tram is back at full service, but more work is ahead

RIOC’s vaunted Communications Team failed to tell you, but the Tram is back at full service. The change occurred on Monday, and the news spread by word of mouth. By David Stone The Roosevelt Island Daily NewsRoosevelt Island has plenty...

Roosevelt Island News
Roosevelt Island Tram at work

RIOC’s vaunted Communications Team failed to tell you, but the Tram is back at full service. The change occurred on Monday, and the news spread by word of mouth.

By David Stone

The Roosevelt Island Daily News

The Roosevelt Island Tram: Back at Full Service

Tram cabin arriving at Roosevelt Island, yesterday.

It’s anyone’s guess why RIOC’s overstaffed Communications and Community Relations Team couldn’t pull together a short notice on Monday. But as the week started, full service Tram operations did too.

But there’s more.

First, because of the COVID surge, RIOC is now limiting passengers to 55 per cabin. There’s no apparent rationale for this change, and it’s way too high for social distancing. With help from Public Safety and operator enforcement,though, masking is well-enforced.

For the future…

The recently completed work is just the first of three phases that will require shutdowns. Mechanical work on the pulleys is done, but track rope replacement and floor work are ahead. Neither has been scheduled yet, and the likelihood is that RIOC will hold off until spring.

We will keep you posted.

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You Can’t Be All Three

You Can’t Be All Three

Transit for the city, an attraction for visitors, and a liability on the Island’s books. The tram is already part of the MTA system. The only question is whether RIOC is ready to admit it.

April 9, 2026, during the full board meeting of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation, Fay Christian said something that should have landed harder than it did. She wished RIOC were not responsible for the tram. Then she asked what it would look like if it were given to the MTA. That was not a passing comment.

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