RIOC Now, Is a Rising Tide Lifting All the Boats?

RIOC Now, Is a Rising Tide Lifting All the Boats?

Young as it is, Roosevelt Island looks like it’s getting a facelift as a rising tide in morale brings freshly groomed features into view.

by David Stone

The Roosevelt Island Daily News

Rising Tide: Seeing Is Believing

https://rioc.ny.gov/

RIOC’s landscaping crews are “…doing their seasonal plantings this week and next,” Acting Chief Operating Officer Mary Cunneen told The Daily.

True. But it’s more than that, more than a routine. You can see it in multiple places around Roosevelt Island.

Riverwalk Commons, Spring 2024

Areas, like Riverwalk Commons, where residents voiced frustrations over groundskeeping and a lack of cooperation from RIOC, now benefit from thoughtful, expert grooming.

Tthere is more, though, and we see the rising tide of morale at RIOC yielding results in other places – increasing attention at Motorgate, Eleanor’s Pier and improving transparency as well as community responsiveness.

Sticking to the Greening of Roosevelt Island for Now

As demonstrated in our cover photo, RIOC’s Grounds Department is finally making the best of the stripped down extremes previous administrations left in Southpoint Park. Where litter and untamed, invasive plants scarred the landscape, we find something much better.

Southpoint: East Promenade
While the rock-strewn East Promenade can never be completely cleared, motion closer the promised vibrant vegetation is visible.
Where weeds and litter dominated, fresh-turned soil welcomes spring, and there’s even the hint of a return of some natural shoreline.

What caught our eye yesterday, though was how RIOC’s landscapers seized the moment now that all the tunnel and track work is over. A clean space welcomed decoration and got it.

It may not look like much yet, but consider what was there before.

East Side Access-Subway Air Shaft

Joining forces with the MTA, RIOC turned out an artfully clean view greeting arrivals from the busiy subway station.

Is the rising tide spreading from Grounds through the rest of RIOC? Let’s watch.

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