Roosevelt Island Tramway
Template:Short description Template:Good article Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox aerial lift line The Roosevelt Island Tramway is an aerial tramway that crosses the East River in New York City, connecting Roosevelt Island to the Upper East Side of Manhattan. The tramway is the first commuter aerial tramway in the U.S., having opened on May 17, 1976, to serve residential developments on Roosevelt Island. The tram is operated by Leitner-Poma on behalf of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation of the State of New York.
Before the tramway opened, Roosevelt Island had been accessed via the Roosevelt Island Bridge from Queens, which had opened in 1955. Starting in the late 1960s, the 63rd Street subway line was built to connect new developments on the island to Manhattan. Due to delays in the subway's construction, the tramway was proposed in 1971 and approved in 1973, initially as a temporary mode of transport. The tramway carried 1.25 million riders in its first year and remained popular thereafter, despite intermittent closures. Ridership declined sharply after the subway opened in 1989, though the tramway remained in operation. Following two major breakdowns in the mid-2000s, the tramway was rebuilt from March to November 2010. The stations were renovated in the late 2010s.
Originally, the tram used two 125-person cabins that were hauled by the same cable. After the 2010 renovation, the cabins were replaced with 110-person vehicles that could operate independently. The cabins travel Template:Convert between an at-grade terminal on Roosevelt Island and an elevated terminal on Manhattan Island. The route operates at all times except late nights, with headways of 7.5 to 15 minutes. The tramway uses the same fare structure as the city's bus and subway systems, and fares are paid with either MetroCard or OMNY. Over the years, the Roosevelt Island Tramway has been the subject of commentary and praised as an icon of New York City, and it has been depicted in several works of media.
History
Background
What is now Roosevelt Island was, until the mid-20th century, known as Blackwell's Island or Welfare Island; it was largely occupied by hospitals and asylums.<ref name="wp-1989-04-23">Template:Cite news</ref> The Queensboro Bridge, which connected the island with Queens and Manhattan, opened in 1909.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A trolley (streetcar) line ran across the bridge when it opened, stopping in the middle of the bridge at an elevator that took passengers down to the island.<ref name="Phillips 1957" /> The trolley remained in service until April 7, 1957, as the last trolley line in New York state;<ref name="Phillips 1957">Template:Cite news</ref> a bridge to Queens had been completed two years earlier.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
After the state government leased Welfare Island from the city in 1969,<ref name="Miller 2017 s935">Template:Cite web</ref> several large housing developments were built there in the early 1970s, necessitating the construction of a public transit connection.<ref name="nyt-1973-08-22">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Hopper 2012 t230">Template:Cite web</ref> Welfare Island was renamed Roosevelt Island in 1973,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and residents began moving onto the island in mid-1975.<ref name="nyt-1975-06-24">Template:Cite news</ref> The Roosevelt Island subway station on the 63rd Street Line was being developed to serve the new community,<ref name="nyt-1973-08-22" /><ref name="Von Eckardt 1974">Template:Cite news</ref> but the entire line was delayed significantly by the mid-1970s.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The first residents of Roosevelt Island had to travel through Queens to leave the island,<ref name="nyt-1975-06-24" /><ref name="King 1975">Template:Cite news</ref> making it difficult to travel to and from Manhattan via car.Template:Sfn
Development
Planning
Because of the delays in building the subway line, an alternative mode of transportation between Manhattan and Roosevelt Island had to be devised.Template:Sfn<ref name="Holcomb 1977">Template:Cite news</ref> At a meeting of Manhattan Community Board 8 in September 1971, the Welfare Island Development Corporation proposed an aerial tramway,<ref name="The New York Times 1971 i855">Template:Cite web</ref> which the board narrowly approved the next month.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The tram was to run between the Motorgate parking garage on Welfare Island and 72nd Street on Manhattan's Upper East Side, with two 120-passenger cabins that ascended Template:Convert above the East River.<ref name="The New York Times 1971 i855" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Christian Science Monitor wrote that the tramway "ought to be the classiest transportation buy in New York City".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Although the 72nd Street location had been selected because it was far from the subway, wealthy Manhattan residents objected to the tramway's terminal being placed there.<ref name="Newsday 1986">Template:Cite news</ref>
The Urban Development Corporation (UDC), a New York state agency, had studied the feasibility of a ferry, a bus, and an aerial tramway by 1972.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Ferry routes to 34th, 63rd, and 71st Streets were studied but were ruled out due to high operating costs, lack of mass-transit connections, and lack of union support.<ref name="Moritz 1974">Template:Cite news</ref> Other alternatives under consideration included an elevator extending directly from the Queensboro Bridge.<ref name="nyt-1974-12-01">Template:Cite news</ref> UDC architect William Chafee proposed an aerial tramway,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>Template:Sfn which was ultimately selected because it was cheap, direct, and fit into Roosevelt Island's quiet character.Template:Sfn By early 1973, the UDC was finalizing plans for a tramway,<ref name="nyt-1973-03-30" /> which was to be the first commuter aerial tramway in the U.S.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The tramway was to be the main means of travel between Roosevelt Island and Manhattan,<ref name="Von Eckardt 1974" /> and it was intended as a temporary mode of transit until the subway was completed.<ref name="Hopper 2012 t230" /><ref name="Moritz 1986">Template:Cite news</ref> The plans called for two 125-passenger cabins that would travel Template:Convert across the East River's western channel, just south of the Queensboro Bridge.<ref name="nyt-1973-03-30">Template:Cite news</ref> Officials hoped the tramway would help the UDC's sales campaigns for the island.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Residents of Sutton Place, a street facing the East River in Manhattan, opposed the tramway plan because they felt the tramway would cause urban blight.<ref name="nyt-1974-12-01" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The United States Coast Guard also needed to approve the project because it crossed a navigable waterway.<ref name="nyt-1974-12-01" /> In September 1973, the route was changed to the north side of the Queensboro Bridge after property owners protested;<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> UDC president Ed Logue said that "no prominent people lived" near the bridge's north side.<ref name="Newsday 1986" /> The next month, the New York City Board of Estimate approved the aerial tramway.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The state government was given a franchise for the tramway in December 1973, allowing construction to begin.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Construction
Swiss firm Von Roll was selected to supply and erect the tram and its equipment,<ref name="nyt 19760517" /><ref name="Richterman 1976">Template:Cite news</ref> in part because, according to the New York Daily News, Von Roll made the "Cadillac of tramways".<ref name="Lewis 1976">Template:Cite news</ref> VSL, a subsidiary of Von Roll,<ref name="Blumenthal 1980 q829">Template:Cite web</ref> installed the equipment.<ref name="Richterman 1976" /><ref name="Lewis 1976" /> The United States Army Corps of Engineers solicited public comments on the tramway plan in January 1974.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The footpath on the Queensboro Bridge was shuttered that July in preparation for the tramway's opening,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and a pair of lampposts at the Manhattan end of the Queensboro Bridge were removed to make way for the tramway.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On the Roosevelt Island side, work was delayed because of the need to relocate the island's municipal laundry building.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Work on the route began the first week of October 1974.<ref name="Moritz 1974" /> Construction, initially scheduled to be completed by around September 1975,<ref name="nyt-1975-04-06" /> was delayed due to the UDC's financial issues.<ref name="nyt-1975-04-06">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> An interim commuter bus to Manhattan via Queens was launched in March 1975;<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> the bus route took up to an hour to reach Manhattan, whereas the tramway was expected to take five minutes.<ref name="The Daily Messenger 1975">Template:Cite news</ref> The tramway's engineer, David Ozerkis, predicted the next month that construction would be complete within the year.<ref name="nyt-1975-04-06" /> By that April, two of three tramway towers were finished.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The towers for the tram route were erected by July 1975, when completion was projected for that December.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="The New York Times 1975 m754">Template:Cite web</ref> The first cables for the tramway were installed the next month.<ref name="The New York Times 1975 m754" /> Construction was delayed various times,<ref name="Hoge 1976 e267">Template:Cite web</ref> in part due to strikes and inclement weather.<ref name="King 1975" /><ref name="The Daily Messenger 1975" /> The delays prompted numerous unfounded rumors about the route, including conjecture that the cabins were involved in collisions or were being secretly run at night.<ref name="Hoge 1976 e267" /> During an initial test of the route in February 1976, a tram hit a light pole, forcing the removal of the pole.<ref name="Lewis 1976" /> By March of that year, the route was complete, and it only needed additional testing and state government approval before it could open to the public.<ref name="Moritz 1976a">Template:Cite news</ref> The tramway had cost $6.25 millionTemplate:Sfn or $6.8 million to build<ref name="Hoge 1976 e267" /> (equivalent to $Template:Inflation–Template:Inflation million in Template:Inflation-yearTemplate:Inflation-fn) It was funded by bonds that had been issued to fund the development of Roosevelt Island. The equipment and vehicles had cost at least $2 million (equivalent to $Template:Inflation million in Template:Inflation-yearTemplate:Inflation-fn), while the support towers and stations cost another $4.25 million (equivalent to $Template:Inflation million in Template:Inflation-yearTemplate:Inflation-fn).Template:Sfn
Opening and early operations
1970s
The tramway route opened on May 17, 1976.<ref name="nyt 19760517">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Volkman 1976">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Moritz 1976">Template:Cite news</ref> As built, there was one elevator at the Manhattan terminal; the Roosevelt Island terminal was at ground level.<ref name="The New York Times 1979 q463" /><ref name="Office of Public and Consumer Affairs, U.S. Department of Transportation 1977 p. 11" /> The first staff members included an unemployed firefighter who, according to The New York Times, said that his knowledge of "rescue procedures" had gotten him the job.<ref name="nyt 19760517" /> The city's franchise to the UDC mandated that the tram's fare be at least 25 cents more expensive than the subway's fare, preventing the tram from drawing away subway riders.<ref name="nyt-1989-11-17">Template:Cite news</ref> The route was free on its opening day, but rides were 50 cents (Template:InflationTemplate:Inflation-fn) thereafter.<ref name="Volkman 1976" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Following Roosevelt Island residents' complaints, the UDC stopped selling fares in Manhattan, gave "priority passes" to Roosevelt Island residents, limited the capacity of each tram, and prohibited several activities onboard.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Bicycles were allowed in the cabins, but the UDC gave priority to passengers.<ref name="The New York Times 1979 q463">Template:Cite web</ref>
Paul Goldberger of The New York Times wrote that Roosevelt Island's popularity rose significantly after the tramway opened,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> while a writer for the Gannett News Service said the tramway had become both a tourist attraction in itself and an icon of the island.<ref name="Holcomb 1977" /> After the UDC fired the original operator, ITT Inc., it hired VSL International to run the tram in January 1977;<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> there was no bidding process before VSL received the contract.<ref name="Blumenthal 1980 q829" /> VSL's staff of 20 tram operators (who also worked as station attendants), six mechanics, and four console operators worked three shifts of eight hours each.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The UDC received a $2 million annual subsidy from the state government (equivalent to $Template:Inflation million in Template:Inflation-yearTemplate:Inflation-fn) for the tramway and other projects on Roosevelt Island.<ref name="nyt-1977-05-20">Template:Cite news</ref>
In 1977—its first full year of operation—the tramway recorded an $800,000 deficit (Template:InflationTemplate:Inflation-fn).<ref name="The New York Times 1978 w851">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Goldstein 1978a">Template:Cite news</ref> The tramway's liability insurance policy cost $900,000 per year (Template:InflationTemplate:Inflation-fn), almost equal to its revenue from fares; such an expensive insurance cost was necessitated by the fact that there were no other aerial commuter tramways in the U.S.<ref name="The New York Times 1978 w851" /><ref name="Goldstein 1978">Template:Cite news</ref> In addition, operating expenses amounted to $1 million a year (equivalent to $Template:Inflation million in Template:Inflation-yearTemplate:Inflation-fn),<ref name="The New York Times 1978 w851" /> and the state government was essentially paying a 95-cent subsidy for every rider.<ref name="Goldstein 1978" /> Despite the lack of any major accidents, the tramway continued to have high insurance costs in 1978.<ref name="Goldstein 1978a" /> This prompted governor Hugh Carey to ask his aides to study the feasibility of having the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) take over the line.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The tramway was shuttered in mid-November 1978 so workers could replace the haul cable,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Morehouse 1978">Template:Cite news</ref> which was beyond the end of its service life.<ref name="New York Daily News 1978">Template:Cite news</ref> The cable replacement project cost $75,000 and took two weeks.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Afterward, the tramway had to be closed every two years so workers could replace the haul cable.<ref name="The New York Times 1980 c598">Template:Cite web</ref>
1980s
A plaza around the tram's Manhattan terminal was established in 1980.<ref name="New York City Department of Parks & Recreation 2007">Template:Cite web</ref> After the tram was closed in November 1980 for haul cable replacement, the new cable fell twice in one month,<ref name="The New York Times 1980 c598" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> prompting investigations by the state government.<ref name="The New York Times 1981 a897">Template:Cite web</ref> The months-long closure caused overcrowding on Queens bus routes<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and did not end until March 1981.<ref>Template:Cite web; Template:Cite news</ref> The extended closure of the tramway had also prompted proposals for a year-round ferry to Roosevelt Island,<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> but interest in the ferry disappeared after the tram reopened.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Efn Further haul-cable replacements occurred in November 1983<ref>Template:Cite web; Template:Cite news</ref> and August 1985.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Although both cabins were originally red, one of the cabins was repainted blue in 1984, prompting complaints from some residents.<ref name="nyt-1986-08-22">Template:Cite news</ref> State officials warned in late 1985 that tram passengers could have to wait as long as 45 minutes if the subway line to Roosevelt Island were not completed within three years.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC), a state agency created in 1984 to manage Roosevelt Island,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> took over the tram service when it was created.<ref>Template:Cite enc-nyc2</ref>
The tramway's insurance cost $677,000 a year (Template:InflationTemplate:Inflation-fn) when the liability insurance policy expired in early 1986;<ref name="Newsday 1986a">Template:Cite news</ref> at the time, the tram served 150,000 people a month.<ref name="Pawel 1986">Template:Cite news</ref> After the insurance expired, the New York State Senate failed to pass a bill that allowed the state to self-insure the tramway; the New York State Assembly, the state's other legislative body, had already approved the bill.<ref name="Pawel 1986" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> This was in part due to objections from upstate politicians who wanted liability insurance for their communities as well.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The route stopped running in February 1986.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> After the State Senate initially rejected the self-insurance bill again,<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> it ultimately allowed the state government to pay $8 million a year in insurance (equivalent to $Template:Inflation million in Template:Inflation-yearTemplate:Inflation-fn),<ref name="Newsday 1986a" /> and the route reopened after two weeks.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> The State Senate failed to pass a separate bill that would formalize the state government's involvement in paying insurance.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> By mid-1986, the tramway was operating at full capacity.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The tramway closed for a week in August 1986 due to an electrical issue, and the blue cabin was repainted red.<ref name="nyt-1986-08-22" />
In mid-1989, mayor Ed Koch indicated that the tram might be closed after the subway opened. One local resident stated at the time: "For many Islanders, this could be a day that will live in infamy: When the subway finally comes, the cherished tram may go."<ref name="wp-1989-04-23" /> The line was again temporarily closed that July, after nine riders were injured when a cabin crashed into the Manhattan terminal.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> Under an agreement with the city government, fares on the tramway were raised by 25 cents after the 63rd Street subway opened in October 1989.<ref name="nyt-1989-11-17" /><ref name="Wright 1989" /><ref name="New York Daily News 1989">Template:Cite news</ref> RIOC estimated that the tram would lose $1 million in a year (equivalent to $Template:Inflation million in Template:Inflation-yearTemplate:Inflation-fn) because of competition from the subway.<ref name="nyt-1989-11-17" /><ref name="New York Daily News 1989" /> When the subway opened, RIOC fired staff members and installed token machines in an effort to cut costs.<ref name="New York Daily News 1989" /><ref name="Foran 1989">Template:Cite news</ref> New York magazine wrote that some residents opposed the tramway's closure because it provided a wheelchair-accessible connection to more bus routes in Manhattan than the subway did.<ref name="McDonald 1989">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Two thousand people signed a petition in support of saving the tramway,<ref name="Foran 1989" /> and RIOC said it had no plans to close the tram.<ref name="McDonald 1989" />
1990s
Following decreases in rush-hour ridership of up to 45 percent, New York City Council member Robert Dryfoos sponsored legislation in April 1990 that would allow the city and state to continue operating the tram.<ref name="nyt-1990-04-08">Template:Cite news</ref> Dryfoos's bill called for the city to stop charging the tramway a $136,000 annual franchise fee (Template:InflationTemplate:Inflation-fn); remove a requirement that a tram ride be more expensive than a subway ride; and allow students to ride the tram for free.<ref name="nyt-1990-04-08" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Board of Estimate agreed to provide discounted senior fares and free student fares; while the Office of Management and Budget agreed to fund the senior fares, the Department of Education would not pay for the student fares.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> RIOC also wanted the city government to attract tourists to the tram.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In late 1990, NYNEX received permission to build a phone substation and an observation deck directly beneath the tramway, next to one of the support towers.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Ultimately, the tramway remained as a permanent transit link.<ref name="Hopper 2012 t230" /><ref name="Brown 2016">Template:Cite news</ref> The tram was closed in October 1993 due to electrical issues<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and was repaired over the next three months.<ref name="nyt-1993-12-26">Template:Cite news</ref> It reopened in February 1994<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> but closed again that July for a $2.1 million renovation (equivalent to $Template:Inflation million in Template:Inflation-yearTemplate:Inflation-fn).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
During the 1990s, RIOC promoted various programs and events to increase its revenue and the tramway's ridership.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> To promote museums in Long Island City and Astoria, Queens, RIOC started selling "Tram Artlink" passes in 1994, which included tram tickets, connecting bus service, and museum admission.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> By 1995, further financial troubles forced RIOC to propose reducing service by four hours on weekdays and five hours on weekends.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> RIOC's agreement with the city government expired in 1995.<ref name="Miller 2017 s935" /> Governor George Pataki announced in early 1996 that he wanted to eliminate all subsidies for RIOC, including subsidies for the tramway;<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="nyt-1996-02-04">Template:Cite news</ref> at the time, the tram was operating at a $1 million annual loss (equivalent to $Template:Inflation million in Template:Inflation-yearTemplate:Inflation-fn).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Despite protests from residents,<ref name="nyt-1996-02-04" /> the state stopped subsidizing the tramway the same year.<ref name="nyt-2002-05-18">Template:Cite news</ref> With the elimination of the state subsidy, Roosevelt Island residents feared that the tram could not be repaired in an emergency, since many parts for the tram were manufactured in Switzerland and imported at a high cost.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Residents also expressed concerns over decreases in service.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The tramway was again temporarily shuttered in January 1998 when a crane hit a cabin and injured 11 passengers;<ref name="nyt-1998-01-29" /><ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> after the damaged cabin was repaired, the tramway reopened one week later.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> The tram was still losing $700,000 a year (Template:InflationTemplate:Inflation-fn), and twice as many people used the Roosevelt Island subway station as the tramway.<ref name="nyt-1998-01-29">Template:Cite news</ref> Roosevelt Island's chief operating officer, Jerome Blue, wanted to reduce operating hours to save money, but many of the island's residents objected.<ref name="nyt-1998-03-03">Template:Cite news</ref> In particular, disabled and senior residents preferred using the tram over the subway.<ref name="nyt-1998-03-03" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The elevators to the subway station were often out of service, and the island's wheelchair-accessible buses traveled only to Queens.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Blue also wanted to eliminate free fares for students, but this was unsuccessful, as was his attempt to cut back operating hours.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> By the late 1990s, tramway riders were advocating for free transfers to the bus and subway systems; at the time, riders had to pay another fare if they wanted to transfer.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
21st century
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2000s: Increasing unreliability
By 2001, there were plans to halt all service from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. due to low ridership. Each nighttime trip effectively received a $6.45 subsidy from the RIOC (equivalent to $Template:Inflation in Template:Inflation-yearTemplate:Inflation-fn), more than double the subsidy for each daytime trip, and the line was losing $1.7 million annually (equivalent to $Template:Inflation million in Template:Inflation-yearTemplate:Inflation-fn).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The tramway was temporarily closed for cable replacement in November 2001.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Although the closure was supposed to last one month, the tramway did not reopen until March 2002 because the original replacement cable was Template:Convert too short. During the closure, the cabins were also restored.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The RIOC's chief operating officer Robert Ryan proposed running advertisements on the tram cabins in mid-2002 to reduce the line's operating deficit, though New York City Council speaker Gifford Miller said such advertisements were illegal.<ref name="nyt-2002-05-18" /> Ultimately, RIOC ran advertisements on the cabins despite not having received permission from the city.<ref name="Miller 2017 s935" />
The subway stopped accepting tokens as fare payment in May 2003, followed by the city's bus system that December,<ref name="Robin 2003">Template:Cite news</ref> but the Roosevelt Island Tramway continued to use tokens exclusively.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="nyt-2003-04-272" /> RIOC bought 7,000 tokens from the MTA so passengers could continue to pay fares.<ref name="Robin 2003" /><ref name="nyt-2003-04-272">Template:Cite news</ref> RIOC announced in January 2004 that the tramway's turnstiles would begin accepting MetroCards.<ref name="Rayman 2004">Template:Cite news</ref> The tramway switched to using MetroCards on March 1, 2004, allowing tram passengers to transfer to the subway or bus for free.<ref name="nyt-2004-03-01">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="The Buffalo News 2004">Template:Cite news</ref>
On September 2, 2005, more than 80 people were trapped on the tram for over 90 minutes,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and an engineer had to be transported from his suburban home via helicopter to turn on a backup generator.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> After that incident, state inspectors issued two violations against the tramway<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and ordered RIOC to install a diesel backup or motor-generator system.<ref name="nyt-2006-04-203">Template:Cite news</ref> On April 18, 2006, at about 5:22 p.m. EDT, the two trams stalled over the East River, trapping 69 people for up to eleven hours;<ref name="nyt-2006-04-202">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Bruchey 2006">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> they had to be rescued using a crane, as well as via a cage that traveled from one terminal to the stranded cabin.<ref name="nyt-2006-04-204">Template:Cite news</ref> Both the primary and secondary power systems were not operational,<ref name="nyt-2006-04-202" /><ref name="Bruchey 2006" /> and the backup system was in California for repairs.<ref name="nyt-2006-04-203" /> The tramway was closed indefinitely, and the cabins stalled twice more the same month while RIOC officials test-ran the tramway to ascertain the cause of the breakdown.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In the meantime, RIOC spent $500,000 upgrading the power systems.<ref name="nyt-2006-05-19">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> By May 2006, the primary electrical system had been replaced,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and officials wanted to reopen the tramway within three months.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Sánchez 2006">Template:Cite news</ref> The tram's backup electrical systems were refurbished, and each cabin was equipped with emergency supplies.<ref name="Lowe 2006">Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The tramway resumed operations on September 1, 2006.<ref name="Lowe 2006" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Following the breakdown, officials announced that they would spend $15 million (equivalent to $Template:Inflation million in Template:Inflation-yearTemplate:Inflation-fn) on a major overhaul of the tramway in two or three years.<ref name="nyt-2006-05-19" /><ref name="Sánchez 2006" /><ref name="Lowe 2006" /> The Manhattan terminal's plaza was renovated in 2007.<ref name="New York City Department of Parks & Recreation 2007" /> By mid-2008, the renovation had increased to $25 million (equivalent to $Template:Inflation million in Template:Inflation-yearTemplate:Inflation-fn) and was to begin the following year. Local residents were concerned about the closure because the tram was one of three ways off the island, along with the subway and the Roosevelt Island Bridge.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2010s to present
On March 1, 2010, the tramway was closed for what was supposed to be a six-month renovation.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> French company Poma was hired for the project,<ref name="Kaminer 2010 d436">Template:Cite web</ref> which included replacing all components except for the three tower bases.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The improvements included a new "dual haul" system that allowed the cabins to travel independently of each other; previously, the cabins had to be run simultaneously.<ref name="Clark 2010">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The old cabins were to be preserved on Roosevelt Island, in a museum, or both.<ref name="Clark 2010" /> Work was delayed because of challenges in bringing a large crane to the island.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The cabins were attached to the cables in October 2010,<ref name="Corso 2010">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and test runs began in mid-November.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The tramway reopened November 30, 2010, two months later than originally planned.<ref name="Clark 2010a">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The late opening was also attributed to delays in obtaining permits for construction, as well as inclement weather.<ref name="Clark 2010a" />
In the early 2010s, the Cornell Tech educational campus was planned on Roosevelt Island, and there were concerns that the tram and subway could not carry additional persons heading there.<ref name="Flegenheimer 2011 w952">Template:Cite web</ref> In 2016, engineering company GC Eng & Associates was hired to renovate the Manhattan terminal.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Repairs to both terminals' platforms began in July 2017, during which one cabin was taken out of service at all times.<ref>Template:Cite web; Template:Cite web; Template:Cite web</ref> Headways were increased to 15 minutes,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> which created severe overcrowding during rush hours.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> One of the cabins' gearboxes was also rebuilt in 2018.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The platform reconstruction project was finished in February 2019, at which point RIOC was in the process of installing two elevators at the Manhattan terminal to replace the original elevator.<ref>Template:Cite report</ref>
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City in 2020, ridership decreased significantly, and each cabin was limited to 24 percent its normal capacity.<ref name="Performance-Measurement-2022">Template:Cite report</ref> The elevators at the Manhattan terminal were completed in April 2022 for $7 million.<ref name="Performance-Measurement-2022" /><ref name="bizjournals.com 2022 l311">Template:Cite web</ref> This work also included an expansion of the Manhattan terminal's platform and renovations to the plaza underneath it.<ref name="Performance-Measurement-2022" /> Installation of OMNY fare-payment readers on the Roosevelt Island Tramway was underway by mid-2023.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On August 24, 2023, the Roosevelt Island Tramway started to accept OMNY fare payments. The launch of OMNY coincided with a long-term partial closure of the 63rd Street Line.<ref name="Spectrum News NY1 2023 a954">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Brachfeld 2023 q448">Template:Cite web</ref> The subway line's closure created more overcrowding during late 2023.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> By 2024, there were calls to give priority boarding to Roosevelt Island residents and employees due to increasing crowding. At the time, RIOC refused to implement a priority-boarding system, saying it violated a state law against giving "undue or unreasonable preference" to any group of riders.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Description
Template:As of, the tramway is operated by Leitner-Poma under contract to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation.<ref name="Performance-Measurement-2022" /> David I. Ozerkis, chief engineer of Roosevelt Island in the 1970s, designed the Roosevelt Island Tramway.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Von Roll manufactured the tram and its equipment, and subsidiary VSL installed the equipment.<ref name="Richterman 1976" /><ref name="Lewis 1976" /><ref name="RC Publications 1976 p.">Template:Cite book</ref> In addition, Lev Zetlin of Lev Zetlin & Associates was the engineer for the Roosevelt Island Tramway,<ref name="RC Publications 1976 p." /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Progressive Architecture 1976">Template:Cite magazine</ref> and Prentice & Chan and Ohlhausen were responsible for the route's two stations.<ref name="RC Publications 1976 p." /><ref name="Progressive Architecture 1976" />
Route and stations
The Roosevelt Island Tramway runs immediately to the north of, and parallel to, the Queensboro Bridge.<ref name="RIOC tram">Template:Cite web</ref> This was a deliberate measure intended to prevent planes at low altitude from colliding with the tramway, as the bridge is much larger than the tramway.Template:Sfn Although RIOC gives the tramway's total length as Template:Convert,<ref name="rioc.ny.gov">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="PR Newswire 2010 y232">Template:Cite press release</ref> other publications give slightly differing lengths, such as Popular Mechanics, which in a 1976 article cited the tramway as measuring Template:Convert long.Template:Sfn The tramway travels Template:Convert over the East River's western channel. The stretch over Roosevelt Island is nearly Template:Convert long, while the stretch over Manhattan is more than Template:Convert long.Template:Sfn
Manhattan terminal
The Manhattan terminal is accessed through Tramway Plaza, on the west side of Second Avenue between 59th and 60th Streets.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> MTA Regional Bus Operations' Template:NYC bus link, and Template:NYC bus link buses stop near the terminal, while the New York City Subway's Lexington Avenue/59th Street station, served by the Template:NYCS trains, is one block west.<ref>Template:Cite NYC bus map</ref>
The terminal is six stories high.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn To avoid interfering with vehicular traffic, the Manhattan terminal is elevated;Template:Sfn the platform is Template:Convert high.Template:Sfn<ref name="Office of Public and Consumer Affairs, U.S. Department of Transportation 1977 p. 11">Template:Cite magazine</ref> The station has two elevators,<ref name="bizjournals.com 2022 l311" /> and there is also a set of stairs.<ref name="Office of Public and Consumer Affairs, U.S. Department of Transportation 1977 p. 11" /> Above the terminal is a concrete deck that could support a 32-storyTemplate:Sfn<ref name="Calcedo Construction Corporation q599">Template:Cite web</ref> or 35-story building above,<ref name="Progressive Architecture 1976" /> although such a building was never built.Template:Sfn This deck is supported by four steel-and-concrete columns measuring Template:Convert thickTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn and Template:Convert tall.<ref name="Calcedo Construction Corporation q599" /> The eastern side of the terminal is cantilevered above the sidewalk of Second Avenue, providing space for an unexecuted widening of the avenue. The terminal's western side is also cantilevered and was intended to accommodate an unbuilt bus stop.Template:Sfn
Roosevelt Island terminal
The terminal on Roosevelt Island is located at 300 Main StreetTemplate:Sfn and abuts the Southtown section of the island.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> At the Roosevelt Island terminal, there is a transfer to the Red Bus route, which offers transportation around the island for free.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The MTA's Q102 bus and the subway's Roosevelt Island station (serving the Template:NYCS trains) are also near the Roosevelt Island terminal.<ref>Template:Cite NYC bus map</ref>
The Roosevelt Island terminal is at ground level.<ref name="Office of Public and Consumer Affairs, U.S. Department of Transportation 1977 p. 11" /><ref name="Progressive Architecture 1976" /> This terminal is clad in metal and is supported by a steel superstructure. The sides of the terminal were also fitted with windows, which permitted views of machinery inside the station.<ref name="Progressive Architecture 1976" /> Within the Roosevelt Island terminal is a Template:Convert shear wall that conceals the anchorages for the tramway's cables.<ref name="Calcedo Construction Corporation q599" />
Cabins
Original cabins (1976–2010)
The original tram cabins measured Template:Convert.<ref name="Moritz 1976" /><ref name="Morehouse 1978" /> Each of the old cabins weighed Template:Convert when empty.Template:Sfn<ref name="TIME.com 1976 k643">Template:Cite magazine</ref> The vehicles could travel at Template:ConvertTemplate:Sfn and could fit 125 people (including one attendant),<ref name="Richterman 1976" /><ref name="nyt20080115" /> for a total capacity of 1,800 people an hour.Template:Sfn The original cabins were mostly standing-room only except for a few benches on the sides.<ref name="Moritz 1976a" /><ref name="Egelhof 1976">Template:Cite news</ref> The cabins had overhead leather straps, which were refurbished in the 1990s and removed in 2010;<ref name="Haddon 2010">Template:Cite news</ref> at the time, they were the only vehicles in New York City's transit system that used straps.<ref name="Haddon 2010" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The bottom sections of the exteriors were composed of bulky red metal panels, while the top sections had sliding windows,<ref name="Kaminer 2010 d436" /> which wrapped around the vehicle.Template:Sfn The roof of each cabin had an emergency escape hatch, a vent, and an asymmetrical A-shaped arm that ran along a set of track ropes.Template:Sfn
Telephones in each cabin allowed operators to communicate with staff at either terminal.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Each cabin also had three separate braking systems,<ref name="Office of Public and Consumer Affairs, U.S. Department of Transportation 1977 p. 11" /> as well as small consoles that allowed the attendants to semi-automatically control the cabins.Template:Sfn<ref name="Wiener 1983">Template:Cite news</ref> There were rescue hatches on the floor of each cabin, which could be used to extricate riders if the tramway broke down over land.<ref name="Egelhof 1976" /> The old cabins were stored in the Motorgate parking garage after the 2010 renovation.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Current cabins (2010–present)
Each of the new cabins weighs Template:Convert when empty.<ref name="rioc.ny.gov" /> The vehicles move at about Template:Cvt<ref name="rioc.ny.gov" /> and have a capacity of 110 (including one attendant).<ref name="rioc.ny.gov" /><ref name="CBS New York 2010 b411">Template:Cite web</ref> The cabins are standing-room only, except for two benches on the sides,<ref name="CBS New York 2010 b411" /> and contain metal grab bars.<ref name="Haddon 2010" /> The exteriors of each vehicle have larger windows than the original cabins did.<ref name="Furse 2010">Template:Cite news</ref> The roof of each cabin has a set of two arms, which are suspended from a pair of cables;<ref name="Corso 2010" /> this allows the cars to maintain stability in windy weather.<ref name="Furse 2010" /> The cabins are also powered by their own electric engines.<ref name="PR Newswire 2010 y232" /> The vehicles' doors are automatically operated, and there are digital screens inside.<ref name="Corso 2010" /> The cabins are also equipped with wireless communications systems.<ref name="CBS New York 2010 b411" /> As a safety measure, when a cabin loses contact with the route's terminals, its braking systems stop it suddenly, which has sometimes caused the cabin to sway in midair.<ref>Template:Cite report</ref>
Rescue cages
If the cabins were to break down over water, riders can be brought to safety via a rescue cage.<ref name="nyt-2006-04-204" /><ref name="Egelhof 1976" /> There are two rescue cages, each with a capacity of 14 passengers.Template:Sfn The rescue cages have their own drive systems<ref name="Moritz 1974" /> and can also be operated using a battery-powered console. During a breakdown, the cages can be attached to a set of rescue ropes on the tramway; the cages could then be brought up to the passengers, who can be evacuated through the windows of the cabins.Template:Sfn
Structures and cabling
Originally, the cabins were suspended from their own pair of closely-spaced track ropes, and they were moved using a single haul cable.<ref name="Richterman 1976" /><ref name="The New York Times 1981 a897" /> The haul cable was cited as measuring Template:Convert thick,<ref name="Morehouse 1978" /><ref name="New York Daily News 1978" />Template:SfnTemplate:Efn while the track cables were cited as measuring Template:Convert thick.Template:Sfn The haul cable was laid in a continuous loop, moving the two cabins in opposite directions at the same time.<ref name="Kaminer 2010 d436" /><ref name="Parco 2016 r111">Template:Cite web</ref> As such, both cabins had to depart and arrive at the station at the same time; the cabins also operated during off-peak hours even if there was a lack of demand, and the entire route had to be taken out of service if one cabin broke down.Template:Sfn The track ropes were attached to anchors at the Roosevelt Island terminal and tension weights at the Manhattan terminal.<ref name="Vuchic 2007 p. 494" /> The anchors at the Roosevelt Island terminal were counterweights that descended Template:Convert into the ground.<ref name="Progressive Architecture 1976" />
Following the 2010 renovation, the Roosevelt Island Tramway was rebuilt as a dual haul system,<ref name="Brown 2016" /> allowing the cabins to be operated separately from each other.<ref name="PR Newswire 2010 y232" />Template:Sfn Each cabin is suspended from its own set of cables, which has a gauge of Template:Convert.<ref name="Kaminer 2010 d436" /><ref name="PR Newswire 2010 y232" /> The cables can carry loads of up to Template:Convert, more than three times the Template:Convert weight of a fully loaded cabin.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A third haul cable is used to pull each of the cabins.<ref name="Yarvin 2011">Template:Cite news</ref>
Three support towers carry the cables.<ref name="The New York Times 1975 m754" /><ref name="Office of Public and Consumer Affairs, U.S. Department of Transportation 1977 p. 11" /><ref name="RC Publications 1976 p." /> The original plans called for the cables to be supported on two towers along the south side of the Queensboro Bridge.<ref name="nyt-1973-03-30" /> The towers were moved to the north side of the bridge before construction began, and another tower was added. As built, the westernmost tower is between First and Second Avenues in Manhattan, the central tower is at York Avenue in Manhattan, and the easternmost tower is on Roosevelt Island.<ref name="The New York Times 1975 m754" /> The towers are composed of steel posts that are welded together,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and their foundations extend Template:Convert deep.<ref name="The New York Times 1975 m754" /> The tallest tower, that at York Avenue, is Template:Convert above ground.<ref name="The New York Times 1975 m754" /><ref name="Brown 2016" /> The floors of the cabins are Template:Convert above the East River at their lowest point.Template:Sfn When the system was built, a set of bars called "cabin entrance guides" was installed to prevent the cabins from hitting each station.Template:Sfn
Drive system
When the tramway first opened, it was equipped with main drive, auxiliary drive, and rescue drive units.Template:Sfn The haul cable was propelled by drive bull wheels at the Roosevelt Island terminal,<ref name="The New York Times 1981 a897" /><ref name="Vuchic 2007 p. 494">Template:Cite book</ref> which was operated by the main drive unit at the same location.<ref name="Vuchic 2007 p. 494" /><ref name="Popular Mechanics 2009 x927">Template:Cite web</ref> The main drive unit had a motor that was cited as having either a Template:Convert motor<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> or a Template:Convert motor.Template:Sfn An overload circuit could turn off the main drive unit in an emergency.Template:Sfn The Roosevelt Island terminal also had the rescue drive unit, which could pull a second haul cable in case of an emergency<ref name="Vuchic 2007 p. 494" /><ref name="Popular Mechanics 2009 x927" /> and could be activated within five minutes of a breakdown.<ref name="TIME.com 1976 k643" /> At the Roosevelt Island terminal was a master console, which alerted controllers to issues and could override the consoles in each cabin.Template:Sfn<ref name="Wiener 1983" /> The auxiliary drive was a hydrostatic drive that ran on diesel.<ref name="Popular Mechanics 2009 x927" />
The tramway's renovation involved replacing the main drive unit with an alternating current inverter system.<ref name="Popular Mechanics 2009 x927" /> Four backup generators were installed at each terminal behind the passenger waiting areas.<ref name="Kaminer 2010 d436" />
Operations
The tramway begins operating at 6:00 a.m. Eastern Time every day. The last trip is at 2:00 a.m. on weekdays and 3:30 a.m. on weekends.<ref name="RIOC tram" />Template:Efn The route runs on 7.5-minute headways during rush hours and weekend mornings and 15-minute headways at all other times.<ref name="RIOC tram" /> The cabins can carry a maximum of 1,200 people an hour during peak times.<ref name="Flegenheimer 2011 w952" /> The tramway generally makes about 115 trips per day.<ref name="rioc.ny.gov" /> The rides typically last three to four minutes.<ref name="CBS New York 2010 b411" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The tram is wheelchair-accessible, and bicycles are permitted in cabins.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Originally, the tramway could operate in most weather conditions, but it shut down if crosswinds exceeded either Template:Convert<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="nyt-1997-03-09">Template:Cite news</ref> or Template:Convert.Template:Sfn<ref name="Office of Public and Consumer Affairs, U.S. Department of Transportation 1977 p. 11" /><ref name="TIME.com 1976 k643" /> Thunderstorms and lightning could also shut down the route.Template:Sfn<ref name="nyt-1997-03-09" /> The modern tramway shuts down if crosswinds exceed Template:Convert or if there is lightning.<ref name="rioc.ny.gov" />
The Roosevelt Island Tramway was the only aerial commuter tram in the U.S. until 2006, when the Portland Aerial Tram opened.<ref name="nyt20080115">Template:Cite news</ref> A 2005 New York Times article described the tramway as one of fewer than two dozen aerial trams in the country, as most aerial trams in the U.S. served ski resorts.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Roosevelt Island Tramway and the Portland Aerial Tram remain the only two urban gondola lines nationwide Template:As of.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Fares
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Originally, the city government received seven percent of all gross revenue from the tramway.<ref name="The New York Times 1975 m754" /> During the mid-1980s, the fare was required to be the same as that on the subways and buses, and farebox revenue was used to fund operating costs.<ref name="Moritz 1986" /> The RIOC's franchise agreement with the city mandated that, after the 63rd Street subway opened in 1989, the tramway fare be 25 cents higher than the subway fare.<ref name="nyt-1989-11-17" /><ref name="Wright 1989">Template:Cite news</ref> The franchise agreement expired in 1995.<ref name="Miller 2017 s935" />
Children who were 5 years old or younger were allowed to ride fare-free until the 2010 closure, when RIOC stopped charging fares based on age. Ever since the tramway reopened, children under Template:Convert have been allowed to ride fare-free regardless of their age if they are accompanied by a paying adult.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The Roosevelt Island Tramway formerly issued its own fare token, with images of the Queensboro Bridge and a cabin on opposite sides.<ref name="Rayman 2004" /> Standard New York City transit tokens were used on the Roosevelt Island Tramway until 2004, when MetroCard was implemented.<ref name="nyt-2004-03-01" /><ref name="The Buffalo News 2004" /> OMNY has been accepted on the tram since August 2023.<ref name="Spectrum News NY1 2023 a954" /><ref name="Brachfeld 2023 q448" /> The fare using OMNY or pay-per-ride MetroCard is the same as that on the buses and subways, $2.90 for a one-way trip, Template:As of.<ref name="MTA 2023 z443">Template:Cite web</ref> The tramway also accepts unlimited-ride MetroCards,<ref name="MTA-Fares">Template:Cite web</ref> and fares paid using OMNY are capped at $34 every seven days.<ref name="MTA 2023 z443" /> Riders can transfer from the tram to buses and subway stations on either end for free, or vice versa,<ref name="New York City Transit 2020">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Efn and tram riders can transfer to express buses for an extra fee.<ref name="New York City Transit 2020" />
Ridership
After the tramway opened in 1976, it recorded 5,000 passengers on its first Sunday of operation<ref name="Progressive Architecture 1976" /> and attracted 10,000 daily passengers in its first few weeks.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The tramway carried its one-millionth rider in March 1977<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and had seen 1.25 million riders, many of whom were weekend travelers, by its first anniversary.<ref name="nyt-1977-05-20" /> By 1989, just before the 63rd Street subway line began serving the island, the tramway saw 5,500 daily riders on average.<ref name="nyt-1993-12-26" /> Within a month of the subway's opening, the tram's weekly ridership declined from 35,000 to 20,000.<ref name="nyt-1989-11-17" /> Daily ridership on the tramway had decreased to 3,000 by 1993.<ref name="nyt-1993-12-26" /> The tramway carried about the same number of passengers daily in 1998, when the Roosevelt Island subway station had almost twice the ridership.<ref name="nyt-1998-01-29" />
During the 2005 New York City transit strike, the tramway was one of the few public transportation modes in New York City that continued to operate,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> transporting three times its typical passenger count.<ref name="Sánchez 2006" /> Daily ridership averaged between 3,500 and 4,000 around that time.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Just before the 2010s renovation began, the tramway had 2 million annual passengers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> After the renovation was complete, daily ridership slightly increased to 6,000,<ref name="Flegenheimer 2011 w952" /> and annual ridership was about 2.2 million.<ref>Template:Cite report</ref> By 2016, the tramway accommodated 2.5 million annual passengers,<ref name="Brown 2016" /><ref name="Parco 2016 r111" /> while RIOC estimated that between 2.6 million and 2.7 million people rode the tramway every year.<ref name="Brown 2016" /> Poma estimated that 70 percent of daily riders were residents, while the remainder were tourists.<ref name="Brown 2016" /> The route saw 2,302,511 riders in the fiscal year ending on March 31, 2020; ridership numbers during the next two years decreased amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Template:As of, the tram recorded 2,146,128 riders, having recovered much of its pre-pandemic ridership.<ref name="Performance-Measure-Report-FY2223">Template:Cite report</ref>
Impact
Critical reception
The year before the tramway opened, Michael Winkleman wrote for New York magazine that the tramway was "a futuristic means of travel" to a "newfangled town" in the middle of the East River, at a time when the city was nearing bankruptcy.Template:Sfn<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> When the Roosevelt Island Tramway opened, The New York Times wrote that most Roosevelt Island residents saw the tramway positively, saying that "it has bridged their cherished moat without really destroying the insular peace and security" of the island.<ref name="nyt-1977-05-20" /> The Times described the tramway as a "cause for relief, if not rejoicing", for the island.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Guardian referred to the tramway as "Manhattan's touch of the Alps" but wrote that the tramway, as well as Roosevelt Island as a whole, was product of "too much public money [being] spent improving the lives of people who were comparatively well off".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The architectural critic Paul Goldberger wrote in his book The City Observed that the ride resembled a Disneyland attraction but that "there is greater pleasure still in perceiving the reality: this is not Disneyland at all—it is New York".<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
The ride and stations were also the subject of commentary. A Newsday reporter wrote in 1976 that "there is a distinctly eerie feeling about silently gliding over traffic jams on Second Avenue".<ref name="Volkman 1976" /> The same year, a writer for Time said that the cabin "began its stately ascent noiselessly and almost imperceptibly" and reached its destination in three and a half minutes.<ref name="TIME.com 1976 k643" /> Robert A. M. Stern called the tramway's Manhattan station "a study in exaggerated contrasts".Template:Sfn
By the mid-1980s, the tramway was so important to Roosevelt Island commuters, the New York Daily News wrote that "the future of this socially planned island is wound up with the fate of" the tram.<ref name="Moritz 1986" /> A New York Times article said some tramway fans called it a New York City icon like the Staten Island Ferry and Brooklyn Bridge.<ref name="nyt-1989-11-17" /> A writer for Newsday wrote in 1989 that "it's as if all aboard have plunked down a subway token in exchange for a great island getaway vacation".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Goldberger wrote in 1990, "one hopes [the tram cabins] will keep going forever, since this ride over the East River is one of the great experiences of New York."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2003, a reporter for the Financial Times wrote that the tramway was a landmark in itself, where "tourists receive a perfect photo opportunity and voyeurs get a quick glance into several luxury apartments and palatial offices".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The New York Times wrote in 2006 that the tramway was not only a vital mode of transport for Roosevelt Island residents, particularly students and the elderly, but also "offers a rare chance to live purely in the moment in New York, no small achievement".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Times attributed the tram's popularity to its relative safety and comfort, its lack of overcrowding, and the views from the cabins.<ref name="nyt20080115" /> Over the years, the tram has carried notable riders such as actor Harrison Ford, tennis player Andre Agassi, and actor/filmmaker Sylvester Stallone.<ref name="Parco 2016 r111" /> After the tramway was renovated, a writer for The Washington Post said that the line allowed a "pretty awesome" view of the skyline.<ref name="Yarvin 2011" /> A Curbed writer said in 2017 that, though the tramway's usefulness was limited by the fact that it traveled only between Manhattan and Roosevelt Island, this was counterbalanced by its "sheer awesomeness" and the fact that it was less crowded than the subway.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Influence and media
The construction of the Roosevelt Island Tramway inspired plans for several similar aerial tramways in New York City. These have included an architectural firm's 2013 proposal to extend the route at either end,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> as well as a 2014 proposal to build a set of parallel gondola lines across the East River from Brooklyn to Manhattan.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Kongfrontation, an attraction at Universal Studios Florida that operated from 1990 to 2002,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> included a model of King Kong attacking a model of the Roosevelt Island Tramway.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="nyt-2003-04-27">Template:Cite news</ref>
The tramway has also been used as a filming location. The 1981 film Nighthawks was partially set on the tramway;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> many residents objected when the filming of a scene shut down the tram for a few days.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news; Template:Cite web</ref> Other films that have used the tramway as a setting include Léon: The Professional (1994),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Sam Raimi's Spider-Man (2002)<ref name="nyt-2003-04-27" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and Dark Water (2005), directed by Walter Salles, the latter of which was filmed on the route.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In addition, the tramway was shown in the opening credits of the TV series Head of the Class<ref name="nyt-1990-04-08" /> and Archie Bunker's Place,<ref name="Newsday 1986" /> as well as a 2004 episode of Fear Factor.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref>
See also
References
Notes
Citations
Sources
External links
Template:Commons and category Template:External media
Template:Roosevelt Island Template:Transportation in New York City Template:United States aerial tramways Template:Crossings navbox