At the last RIOC meeting, that pesky matter of the Tramway's operating deficit came up once again.  This time, there was a bit of a twist, because at least one Board member – our good friend Leo Kayser – was miffed that the Democrats on the City Council had banned advertising on and in the Tram cabins.

Kayser made it clear that he feels RIOC needs a free hand with ads.  The reasoning is that the advertising would produce revenue that might go toward covering that operating deficit – and perhaps even some of the Tramway's capital needs anticipated in the near future.

City Councilmember Gifford Miller, on the other hand, seems to have nothing against putting ads on the cabins – perhaps "shrink-wrapping" them like buses – but he wants to link permission for such advertising to a specific benefit for his Island constituents:  MetroCard transfers and discounts.

RIOC counters that allowing free transfers to the Tramway, combined with the overhead associated with the MetroCard, would only make the system's deficit worse.

Thus, a stalemate.

The WIRE applauds Gifford Miller's drive to integrate the Tramway into the MetroCard system.  We also applaud Leo Kayser's attention to the bottom line.

But we cannot endorse the idea of advertising plastered all over the Tram cabins.  We might as well hang a sandwich-board on Lady Liberty.  The Tramway is a symbol – a symbol not just of Roosevelt Island, but of New York City.  To desecrate it with advertising would – and should – make us a world-wide esthetic laughingstock.

Instead, the State of New York should subsidize the Tramway as it subsidizes every other mass transit system in the State.  The Tramway, in fact, already covers a higher percentage of its per-passenger operating costs than virtually any other mass transit system in the country.

Our tax dollars subsidize all the others.  Tax dollars should subsidize the Tramway.  It's an obvious solution.

Beyond that, there are other creative ways to use the Tramway as a revenue-producer:  Souvenirs, passage sold in combination with other tourist attractions, even discreet institutional sponsorship.

But advertising on the cabins?  Never.  And if you agree, let Councilmember Gifford Miller know your feelings (535-5554 or fax 535-6098).  His drive for the MetroCard is good, but he shouldn't have to trade ads on the cabins to get it.

DL