Starting Tonight, July 26th, at 9: 45, Manhattan-bound F Trains will detour along the E Line until Monday, the 29th, at 5:00 a.m. There are a few other complications.
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
July 26th – 29th, 2024
Manhattan-bound F Trains bypass Roosevelt Island, starting around 9:45 Friday night and will not return until 5:00 a.m. on Monday. There are a few complications worth noting, the first of which is Queens Summer Streets closing Vernon Boulevard for most of Saturday, including the blocks around 36th Avenue and the Roosevelt Island Bridge.
Q102 Buses detour around Vernon from 7:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.
The Q102 bus detour route is clear, we don’t know much about car and truck traffic. Summer Streets means a total shutdown, but MTA buses will use the Roosevelt Island Bridge in going to and from the Island. RIOC said in an advisory that cars will be allowed as well. Congestion may make that challenging, including for deliveries and livery services. Allow for extra time on Saturday, plenty of it.
The Roosevelt Island Tram
Take for granted that Tram cabins will be packed with tourists with cellphones documenting the event for TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, etc. With F Train’s partial shutdown, the summer weekend demand for cabins will certainly increase.
Long lines and wait times are expected, but the situation is especially bad for seniors or anyone needing special assistance. Tourists generally ignore the signs reserving seats for seniors, and Leitner-POMA staff will not assist. We’ve been all around that issue without getting even a little help for needy residents.
RIOC’s Public Safety Department, also, offers about as much assistance as it does with mopeds and E-bikes racing down Main Street as if crosswalks and stop signs are merely suggestions.
Near the elevators on street level, RIOC posted a big sign telling those in need of assistance to contact a Public Safety Officer. It’s borderline cruel and maximally indifferent and tone deaf because there are almost never any PSOs anywhere in the area. If you’re counting on help from PSD or RIOC in general, you will be stranded.
NYC Ferry
With connections in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens, the Ferry is always a good option, although it too gets crowded on weekends. Keep in mind, though, that the NYC Ferry was set up to aid areas underserved by mass transit. That does not fit Roosevelt Island’s profile, but it does most of the others. That is, not many connections are readily available from most landings, and there are no free transfers with other systems.
Best Choice for July 26th -29th, 2024
Smart travelers can easily take a Queens-bound F express to Roosevelt Avenue. There, free transfers await for multiple subway lines, including Manhattan-bound F Trains. This option should not add more than 15 or 20 minutes to your trip.
Don’t let any of this spoil your weekend. Just be advised and prepared.
Before the Door Closed
The May 14 RIOC board meeting began with public concern over the steam plant and ended with two votes that revealed more than any report could. Some meetings announce themselves by what is said. This one announced itself by what the room permitted to move and what it stopped before it could breathe.
