You know how it is with an April day
When the sun is out and the wind is still,
You’re one month on in the middle of May.
But if you so much as dare to speak,
A cloud comes over the sunlit arch,
A wind comes off a frozen peak,
And you’re two months back in the middle of March.
—Two Tramps in Mud Time, Robert Frost

March was an eventful month here on Fantasy Island.  We suffered this winter with insults to our critical transportation systems, but, as of this writing, they have all been put right.  
After years of waiting, March 1 saw the advent of MetroCard Tram service that finally incorporates Islanders into the fabric of City life.  Last week repairs were completed on the Manhattan-side Tram elevator, but a series of hiccups have impacted this essential operation.  I’m getting reports that these repairs are on-again, off-again, but as of last Thursday morning the elevator is out of service yet again.  And, mirabile dictu, the Red Buses have been restored to their former route and schedule!  I sent the following letter of congratulation to RIOC President, Herb Berman, on March 26:

Dear Herb:

I wanted to congratulate you on two counts: the repaired Manhattan-side Tram elevator and the restored bus route/schedule. 

We’ve endured two lengthy elevator outages within the last 18 months that have caused hardship among those unable to negotiate the stairs to the Tram platform.   Already I’ve heard expressions of relief from many neighbors and I’m happy to forward them to you.  I hope that you’ve been able to find sources of parts and service that will make future breakdowns short and uneventful.

I was pleased to read your advisories and kiosk postings on the March 29th restoration of Red Bus service.  This winter’s attempts to include Southtown residents in the flow of Island commuter traffic were clearly not successful, and I’m grateful (as I’m sure you are) to the more than 60 resident-commuters who took the time through letters and e-mails to share their constructive criticism with both of us.  RIRA speaks for the community, but when we are not consulted, sometimes the community is aroused to speak for itself.  As you know, my personal participation was limited to a committee that met once on January 12 and a private meeting on January 28.  Some riders may have expressed their frustration in negative language but their underlying wisdom, obtained from 20 years of experience, was still valid.  RIRA will have volunteers riding the buses on Monday morning to monitor the efficiency of this new plan, and I hope RIOC will do so as well.  Using just the West Service Road and restoring the tie to the Tram schedule are familiar practices to all of us and should solve most problems.  The creation of new bus stop(s) at 506 Main Street and the installation of on-demand Tram service after midnight are new concepts, and should be monitored and tested so that, if the “law of unintended consequences” surprises us, the response can be timely.

Again, my thanks for what should be an efficient and trouble-free spring for Island commuters. 

Best wishes,

Matthew Katz
President, RIRA

As promised, my wife, Sherie Helstien, rode the bus during last Monday morning’s rush hour, and I monitored the bus schedule from the vantage point of the Gristedes/Motorgate stop during the afternoon off-peak hours.  The restored route/schedule appears to be running like a Swiss watch, but I’m counting on you to inform RIOC, RIRA, and The WIRE should the system need tweaking.  And I’d like to add my personal thanks to all of you who took the time to express your concerns and offer your solutions.  You made a difference.

While Sherie was riding the Red Bus around Roosevelt Island, I was attending the Grand Opening Ceremony for Keyspan’s Ravenswood II plant just east of us across the river.  You’ve read in these pages that the new plant will burn natural gas instead of fuel oil and is expected to be 30 percent more efficient, with significantly lower emissions.  The new turbines are already on the grid with the full 250-megawatt output expected within weeks.  The Big Apple desperately needs more energy production, but it’s unfortunate that so much of it comes from several antiquated power plants on the East River.  And we’ve all experienced the shimmering yellow-brown pall that blows in our windows during the summer peak output season.  I asked three different Keyspan representatives whether the new facility would reduce or remove the need for the kerosene-burning units that operate next to the Roosevelt Island Bridge but I never got a straight answer.  Strange.  Also strange: no one from RIOC and none of our local elected politicians chose to attend the opening of the first new power plant in New York in three decades.

You may have noticed a short squib in the “Briefly…” column on page one of this newspaper’s March 20 issue regarding renovation plans for the Roosevelt Island Bridge.  This long-delayed project has been put off until 2012 for budgetary reasons.  Originally, this undertaking was discussed by the Department of Transportation at an Island Town Meeting back in April 2001.  The Coast Guard had given permission to remove the lift capacity of the Bridge in 1998, and we were asked to provide input as to the final appearance of the Bridge.  Work was scheduled to begin in 2004, but September 11, 2001, put those plans on hold and made retaining the lift capacity essential to allow East Channel boat traffic.  I attended the recent DOT all-agency meeting where Movable Bridge Group Director Balram Chandiramani announced their intention to put off the reconstruction and maintenance for another eight years.  Our bridge is the only connection this Island has to police, fire, and emergency vehicles, not to mention our access to buses, trucks, and cars.  I’m concerned that we don’t have eight more years to ignore the Bridge, and I will be using what resources are available to me to make the Roosevelt Island Bridge this year’s squeaky wheel.  Stay tuned.

I’ve been to two terrific Island events since I spoke to you last, and I want to tell you about them: The Westview Fitness Center in conjunction with The Fitness Company offered a free health fair at the Westview Pool on March 22.  Available to all Islanders with a free one-day guest pass, we were offered glucose and diabetes screening, blood pressure and body balance assessment, body stress and posture analysis, refreshments, and a yummy mini-massage.  Should Housing Management repeat this offer, don’t walk – run to sign up!  Also, I’m glad to report that the pool is wonderful, the gym is acquiring new equipment, and membership is growing.  Do your body a favor, and come on down.

Last Saturday I visited Gallery RIVAA in the old Bigelow Pharmacy site for the opening reception of Vernissage 3, the Roosevelt Island Visual Art Association’s latest show.  Arline Jacoby and the artists collective have put together another magnificent offering of paintings and photographs that is not to be missed.  You can catch this exhibition Wednesday and Friday evenings and weekend afternoons through May 23.  This tiny community has an incredible outpouring of art, theater, music, and dance of a very high quality, and we need to let the world know what we have to offer.  Two years of discussions with RIOC about signage at the Tram and subway have been without effect, but I hope we can find the wherewithal to stop “hiding our light under a bushel.”  After all, the talent is already here.

And finally: you will find a full-page ad in this issue of The WIRE for the RIRA Insurance Fair scheduled for April 17 and 28.  This event was born from the ashes of the Eastwood fire some years ago and has found an advocate in RIRA’s Housing Committee.  Whether you own or rent, you need apartment insurance.  Come to one of our sessions and find out why, what it covers (and doesn’t cover), and what it costs.  Nobody expects fire, flood, robbery or accident to interrupt our lives, but they do happen and we all need to be prepared, so please stop by.