As for the new elevator, “And it’s brilliant……fast, spacious, well-lit,” our reader wrote. And he described the experience as “polite.” We went over and checked it out.

by David Stone

The Roosevelt Island Daily News

Not a minute too soon, a new Manhattan-bound side elevator opened this weekend in the Roosevelt Island MTA NYC Subway station. RIOC’s callous disregard for residents left physically challenged individuals without safe and effective options for travel all weekend as well as most of the time on weekdays.

But the new elevator, shiny, quiet and smooth in operation, solves that. Its modern style contrasts nicely against the station’s poured concrete, brutalist design.

As you can see from the video, not just the physically challenged but stroller moms and dads are welcome too.

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A Different Kind of Bet

This one is about courage.

Theo Gobblevelt Apr 10, 2026

For years, Roosevelt Island did not behave like a system constrained by limits. Internally, the budget was often treated less as a boundary and more as a reservoir to be used.

Continue reading →