They promised change, but the new top executives fall back on RIOC tradition. The state agency will never admit a mistake. It’s been consistent for years, and now, again ignoring safety concerns, accusing residents of lying, it continues.
by David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
It’s a given. All politicians lie, but we still want to believe them. They’re what we’ve got, and RIOC is no exception. There’s a tradition of lying, and transitioning to new executives has not changed that.
But it took a new, unhappy direction yesterday. That’s when RIOC’s communications direct, Bryant Daniels, all but called this author and a resident who prefers remaining anonymous liars.
The RIOC Tradition Story
Day one: Tuesday, January 30th, 2024
Late last night/very early this morning, RIOC and/or PSD failed to inform the community about the large Con Ed project started or resumed in front of Eastwood/Roosevelt Landings. Con Ed staff employees parked on the sidewalk in front of the Chapel, and modifying the traffic pattern from 540 Main to almost the end of Eastwood.
Lotsa traffic cones, a few Con Ed folks in neon vests & NO VISIBLE PSD presence either at 6:00 am or 10:45 am.
Hoping that situation has improved a bit for pedestrians and drivers in all directions.
Day two: Wednesday, January 31st, 2024
RIOC still asleep on Main Street, although PSD is trying to help a little.
Last night NO Con Ed neon vest folks overnight to “direct” traffic. And still no extra lighting, signage for what continues to be a major safety hazard…
At least one overnight PSD veteran tried following up with Con Ed.
And, at 8:00 am this morning, NO PSD presence on Main between 540 & 580, while at least one driver, going north, blew through the single lane doing at least 30 mph…
Don’t know how long Con Ed will be here, but pedestrian & driver safety clearly not anyone’s priority.
Day three: February 1st, 2024
This morning’s update includes the same lack of signage and lighting along the Main Street corridor between 540 & 580.
This morning’s update features, at 6:10 am, a white SUV speeding at about 40 mph, north on Main Street along the Island House lane and not a PSO or Con Ed neon vest in sight — followed by several vehicles going north at about 30 mph.
Am pretty sure something bad will happen sooner rather than later.
After three days, it was time to check it out for myself.
Here’s what I found.
It was late morning, and I first passed a row of Con Ed trucks parked on the sidewalk in front of the subway station. Barely enough room for a wheelchair, if that.
No public safety officer in sight along the narrowed roadway and no flag person from Con Ed.
That wasn’t the worst.
Along Main Street, through the canyon, just as a resident pointed out three days in a row, not a public safety officer nor Con Ed flag person in sight. Not one.
Keep in mind, this is directly in front ot Public Safety headquarters.
An nearby…
The work continued with a reflective vested man, presumably assigned to direct traffic, idling.
But there was some humor. Minutes after they spotted me taking pictures, two workers in reflective vests appeared with huge stop signs and began directing traffic.
The fun, though, faded when the RIOC tradition of lying kicked in.
Contacting the “New” RIOC
Soon after my walk on Main, I emailed Daniels, copying Assistant Chief Counsel Gerrald Ellis and CFO Dhruvika Patel Amin.
“After three straight days of complaints, I went to check out the Con Ed work on Main Street. As resident reports indicated, PSD officers were nowhere to be found where traffic was rerouted around the active work sites, not even where Con Ed vehicles blocked sidewalks. (I have photos confirming this.) Con Ed was equally negligent because their flagmen and/or flag women were similarly absent, although when they saw me taking pictures, a couple hustled out with STOP signs after the fact.”
Daniels had several options.
First, he could have said, “We’re concerned, and we’ll look into it.” Or, “Thanks for letting us know.”
Instead, as RIOC tradition demands, he pitched the official story.
“I can’t speak for ConEd, but I can tell you I personally saw PSD officers stationed at the roadwork both this morning and this afternoon. In fact, I went up around 1:30pm to check, and then again a little before 3pm, and both times saw a PSD officer monitoring traffic. PSD has since confirmed they’ve had officers stationed there throughout the day. A ConEd flag person was also visible both times I checked this afternoon.”
In other words, what we reported never happened, but someone was lying and Daniels spilled down the RIOC communications pipeline. Tradition isn’t always reassuring.
And finally, “I can’t speak for ConEd…” Why not? Isn’t RIOC in charge of this Island and responsible for public safety?
AVAC: Where the Pipe Curves
This is the final installment in my notes from the December 2nd, Operations Advisory Committee meeting, following “An Emergency, Apparently” and “Rust Is Funny Until It Isn’t”.
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