The Tram crisis is the invisible kind. It’s about who and what you don’t see. You rarely see wheelchairs anymore. Or walkers. And you seldom see Roosevelt Islanders in friendly conversations. Residents, especially vulnerable residents, have been crowded out.
by David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
The Tram Crisis
It was never that we didn’t see it coming; it’s that we did nothing about it.
When reports poured in about Tram cabin overcrowding, tourists pushing and shoving and operators standing passively by, RIOC did not react. Unless hunkering down with excuses for inaction counts.
The impact is not just negative. There are positives too. Visitors finally discovered the “hidden gem” RIOC relentlessly promoted, and who could blame them? It’s wonderful here. It’s a refuge. Roosevelt Island abounds with things to like. Businesses are catching a boast.
Among the gathering spots are the Roosevelt Island Tram Plaza (above) and other riverside, grassy lawns.
And there’s another element: apparently, everyone on Earth wants to record or otherwise verify a Tram ride or a stroll around the grounds. Instagram, YouTube and TikTok reflect the phenomenon every day.
Unfortunately balancing that is the sudden, observable absence of grocery shopping bags.
A personal experience…
Friday, early afternoon, my wife and I took the quick lift over on the Tram for groceries at Trader Joe’s. On a cool, cloudy afternoon, at about 2:30, we returned and found Tram waiting lines extending halfway down the stairs. No helpful public safety officers anywhere in sight.
Grocery-filled bags in hand, we accepted the inevitable – a four-block walk along crowded sidewalks to the F Train, which fortunately was running well and on time.
That was okay for us. We’re both fit and healthy. But what about our neighbors with more groceries or less mobility? What about our friends in wheelchairs or needed canes and other assistance for whom the subway is mostly lacking accessibility? What happens when the Trains go down?
These are the people the Tram was built for, the people for whom millions were invested in modern elevators. They’ve been shut out for months now, and no plan is in place for relief.
But, sad to say, that grinding observation was not the omen that convinced us that the Tram crisis was worsening fast.
The Branding
The Tram’s iconic status is going viral. During our short walk, we saw…
- A baseball cap vendor selling to tourists on the sidewalk between the two exits. We’re a hit!
- A “Tram News Stand” on 60th Street, newly rebranded for tourist traffic.
- Most surprisingly, at 59th and 1st, where Under the Bridge shut down and where an Italian eatery was planned, we now have “The Tram Restaurant” near opening.
How things have changed. In the ’90s, the “Tram Diner” sat on the northwest corner of 60th and 2nd. It closed up along with a lot of others when diners went out of fashion and there wasn’t enough Tram traffic.
(Note: If RIOC is thinking about collecting royalties on the name usage, somebody remind them.)
The troubling fact is that Tram popularity is such a rage that businesses completely unrelated to it are capturing the theme. They see more on the way in the form of dollar signs.
And even less access for Roosevelt Islanders unless RIOC acts and acts decisively. Now, if not sooner.
The Emergency Was Always Underground
The steam plant and the steam tunnel were never two problems. They were one system. They were only separated later, when separating them made development easier and responsibility harder to pin down.
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