Roosevelt Islanders reveled after the snowstorm piled up nearly a foot with wind-driven drifts even higher. Sun made Sunday a joy for many.
by David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
Sunday After the Snowstorm
With a single cabin making timely trips overhead, the The Roosevelt Island Tram Plaza reflected the active local theme. By midday, the lawn area was tramped down with boot prints from visitors. Many trekked south for sledding and saucering in the rolling meadows of the Cornell Tech Campus. Others traveled farther into Southpoint and FDR Four Freedoms State Park.
RIOC work crews kept streets and sidewalks clear with a couple of exceptions. The MTA, as usual, failed to lift a shovel around the subway station, and even though the plowed through adjacent areas, RIOC also failed, leaving their sister agency’s walkways packed with snow.
Across the river too, the 2nd Avenue Tram Plaza was cleared of snow – but only as far as the sidewalks. Whoever shovelled out the plaza cut it short, leaving busy sidewalks packed with snow. No one accepted responsibility, and RIOC has never been accused of being a good neighbor.
But overall, after the snowstorm, Roosevelt Island was well taken care of. There was one troubling snag, though, as agency dysfunction confused everyone with parking restrictions.
About the Parking Restrictions
Parking restrictions for Roosevelt Island aren’t necessary because parked cars never prevent plows from passing through. Cars park on only a single side of the street at any point, leaving plows plenty of room. In addition, RIOC uses only smallish plows requiring even less room.
But that never stops the state agency that never gets it wrong from emailing illiterate, confusing advisories that ban parking. It’s as if they never make a review. Another troubling factor is RIOC’s puzzling assumption that many people see their email advisories. But we have a pretty good clue.
On Friday evening, hours after the parking ban started, many, if not most, spaces remained filled with cars. How many people got RIOC’s email? Not many. And efforts at compensating were laughable.
Notices, printed on paper, taped to existing signs and twisted by the winds, were funny only if you didn’t get a ticket.
Making matters worse, RIOC’s email promised a follow up as soon as the ban was lifted. But the printed notices already had an end time.
And well after the snowstorm ended, RIOC, at 10:00 a.m. emailed a huffy…
Main Street Parking
Parking restrictions remain in effect until further notice.
But there was no further notice. Maybe one hand didn’t know what the other was doing, but residents were left to figure it out – two days and counting after the snowstorm.
Also from the Roosevelt Island Daily
- A Week Rooted in Community: Daily Life and Neighbor Connections on Roosevelt IslandThis week, daily life and neighbor connections on Roosevelt Island come into focus with stories of parks, transit, public safety, and community rhythms shaping the summer.
- NYC Health + Hospitals Data Breach Lawsuit: What Roosevelt Island Readers Should KnowA proposed class action says millions of NYC Health + Hospitals patients, staff and family members may have had deeply sensitive information exposed. Here is what Roosevelt Island readers should know.
- Queens Community News and Events: How Local Stories Echo on Roosevelt IslandQueens community news and events shape daily life on Roosevelt Island and beyond. From park reopening and fundraisers to public safety and local transit, catch up on the stories echoing across both neighborhoods.
- How Roosevelt Island Connects with Queens This Week: Community, Safety, and Neighborhood CelebrationsHow Roosevelt Island connects with Queens is clear in this week’s stories of community, public safety, celebrations, and neighborhood life in both boroughs.
- Connecting Roosevelt Island Community Life with Local Transit, Safety, and Business InitiativesConnecting Roosevelt Island community life with local transit, safety, and business initiatives, this week’s Beat explores how citywide stories shape our days and routines.
“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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