Unless you were afraid of heights or of flying, Tram safety was probably just something you took for granted – until this year. Over the last twelve months, many reported instances of swinging out of control and mid-river stalls erased that comfort zone for many of us.
by David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
Just after noon, Roosevelt Islander Zach Ephron emailed this video…
“Full tram stopped over the river today at noon,” he wrote. As his camera zooms in, a crowded cabin appears. This was not the typical pause for repair work at midday. “It’s full of tourists,” he clarified.
We don’t know when or for how long people dangled over the East River. A half-hour later, RIOC released an advisory. It stated, “Due to technical issues both Cabins are out of service.”
A half-hour later, the south cabin was back in service, and RIOC confirmed that everyone was rescued safely.
The Tram Safety Puzzle
Over a decade ago, the new Tram system went live. It was completely overhauled. A big feature was the ability of each cabin running independently. No more full system freezes. Obviously, that’s not the case anymore. That went out along with simple operator courtesy and reasonably filled cabins tracing the lines of the Queensboro Bridge.
According to Leitner-POMA, the Tram’s operators, “There was a power fault that caused the WIFI and the Bluetooth to fail on the North and South Cabin at the same time. Think of it like a fuse blowing while they ran a routine drive line test.”
Leitner-POMA says they do this test regularly and haven’t experienced this before. But that raises a serious question.
“If they haven’t experienced it before, how do they explain all the other stalls and the swinging incidents?” we asked.
While insisting that yesterday’s was a singular event, RIOC added, “The prior events were related to aging components, which POMA has been replacing.”
As for Tram safety, it’s far from reassuring. Leitner-POMA let equipment age carelessly. Passengers have repeatedly been put at risk. Some passengers were injured or sickened during swinging events.
Finally…
The first instances of Tram cabins out of control were a year ago. In the meantime, Leitner-POMA has shown that whatever competence it once had is no longer secure. Its elusive excuses explaining failures are not convincing. Although they cite simple issues, instant repairs fail, and the frightening events repeat.
Concerned, Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright asked the Department of Labor to have a look. DOL has been on the case for over six months and has brought improvements. But the Tram is still not fixed.
RIOC remains steadfast in support of its contractor, Leitner-POMA. That may be more about a paucity of alternatives than anything else. Whatever few options there may be, Tram safety concerns suggest exploring them in earnest.
On naming, neglect, and the quiet work that keeps things standing
About twenty years ago, there was Harbor Police activity near the water, just south of the subway entrance. At the time, no one really thought of it as a pier, though technically there was a small boardwalk there. Of course it wasn’t a pier. A pier implies intention.
