“Maskless tourists” on the Tram should not surprise anyone as cherry blossoms decorate Roosevelt Island. But either they surprised RIOC or they just don’t care as public safety officers, according to a Tram operator, no longer patrol the cabins.
by David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
“Many maskless tourists” but no PSD
“RIOC defies logic, and it hurts,” our reader wrote in an email. “This week PSD no longer rides the tram,” confirmed a Tram employee.
“And oh, surprise! Upon arrival to Roosevelt Island, two officers were standing by the entrance idling and laughing with a friend.”
Although complaints like this became all too common in the past two COVID-wracked years, things changed in recent months. Tram riders consistently saw PSD officers riding in Tram cabins, enforcing mask rules. It was contagious. Operators were also firm when PSOs weren’t present.
But strangely, just as tourist volume jumped with cherry blossom season, the Public Safety Department’s deep thinkers figured it was time for shuffling back inside the office.
Taking things into her own hands, our reader – a senior – confronted the maskless tourists. Three put on masks, but “two others carried theirs as a necklace.”
Negligence has its say…
“Sad to say if you care to keep healthy as a very senior person,” she summed up, “better stay home away from bikes, motorized scooters, and overcrowded trams and red buses.”
RIOC and PSD will not be there for you. A sad fact of life for Roosevelt Island.
More from the Roosevelt Island Daily News
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- Thursday’s PSD blotter: two hospital runs, a trespass summons at 888 MainRIOC’s Nov. 12 PSD blotter lists 15 incidents: six medical calls, two alarms at 546 Main Street, and a late-night trespass at 888 Main Street that ended with a summons.
- Queens Home Prices and Rents Rise in October 2026 as Long Island City Condos Draw BuyersQueens home prices and rents rose in October 2026. See StreetEasy’s housing figures and Long Island City condo contract activity at Radiant and Vesta.
- Medicare Open Enrollment Ends Dec. 7: Get Answers on 2027 ChangesMedicare open enrollment ends Dec. 7. Sen. Krueger’s Nov. 16 virtual town hall covers 2027 premium, deductible and Part D changes, with a HIICAP expert’s Q&A.
- Wednesday’s PSD blotter: two medical calls, a water leak, a custody reportRIOC’s Nov. 11 PSD blotter lists 10 incidents, all on Main Street, including two medical calls at 555 Main Street, a water leak at 560 Main and a custody or visitation report.
The Steam Tunnel Repair That Disappeared
Capital projects change. Costs rise, engineering evolves, funding moves and questions of ownership can complicate even urgent work. But the Roosevelt Island Steam Tunnel was not a speculative improvement that simply slipped down a priority list. RIOC’s own records describe an infrastructure problem known for decades.
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