Tram Plaza Clean-Up, At Last, Set for Today

With less than a day’s notice, RIOC says the long-awaited Tram Plaza clean-up will start today. Or is it a “Restoration” as the subject line reads? Other details are murky enough to give riders pause.

by David Stone

The Roosevelt Island Daily News

Tram Plaza “Restorarion…?”

Because restoration and Tram Plaza clean-up are different things, some puzzles remain. The RIOC Advisory seems to have been written by someone who’s never been around the Tram much.

With the bus stop removed and the tourist-pleasing RI Sign gone for months, a hot dog cart obstructs foot traffic. On the plus side, it distracts from the ugly construction debris. The lawn in the Tram Plaza has been left torn up for so long that weeds and uncut grass have grown over the scars.

Due to the tram plaza clean up on Wednesday, August 17th from 7AM to 3PM, tram passengers will be directed to use the entrance at the rear of the plaza to enter and exit the tram.
Both tram cabins will operate on a normal schedule.
Public Safety and flag persons will be on site for pedestrian and traffic control.
RIOC Advisories, August 16th, 3:41 p.m.

Sadly, there is no “entrance at the rear of the plaza,” indicating that the advisory writer is either in Albany or RIOC’s Dominican Republic branch office.

But in a positive step, the state agency that never makes a mistake promises better safety awareness than the initial phase of construction. On the other hand, there is no explanation why a few days’ notice wasn’t possible. You always have to wonder who is steering the ship with RIOC.

Rumors suggest that, although the equipment will be moved, no clarity exists over returning the bus shelter or the RI sign. Fixing the torn-up Tram Plaza lawn is up for grabs.