To The Editor:

I was a rider on the Roosevelt Island Tram that was heading to Manhattan when a power outage occurred on April 18. I have some comments about the incident as well as a few suggestions to improve the cable car.

• While the stranded Tram riders waited for the rescue operation, I would like to note that the operator, Mr. Kavindra Jagnanan, was calm and helpful to the passengers as he went about his tasks. Another operator inside the Tram, Leon, also helped. This set a good tone for the riders who were concerned but patient during the long incident.

• The New York City police and fire departments worked carefully to get the riders safely down to the road. That is well appreciated, especially in this unique and trying circumstance.

2. Suggestions for improvement of the passenger compartment of the Tram:

Based on this experience, I believe that it would be a good idea to have certain supplies and equipment in the passenger compartment of the Tram should there be another lengthy stoppage in the future. The cable car did not have these needed supplies. To get these items, the Tram operator, Mr. Jagnanan, decided to request them from the police located on the road about 110 or 120 feet below. To obtain the supplies, Mr. Jagnanan hooked up a pulley to the ceiling then connected cables and a collapsible basket (these items were stored on the roof of the Tram). He then opened a trap door on the floor and several riders helped Mr. Jagnanan and Leon drop the basket to the road and then hoist it back up with the supplies. It should be noted that this procedure might not have been possible if the Tram had been higher up on the cable or if weather conditions were adverse.

I suggest that new storage locker(s) be installed inside the Tram – perhaps under the benches or behind the operator’s seat – to store needed supplies and equipment. Suggested supplies and equipment to be stored inside the Tram would include:

• Reliable cell phone and perhaps a backup cell phone for the operator (the cable car phone went out with the power)

• Bottled water

• Emergency medical supplies (one rider mentioned that he had a heart condition)

• Baby food, diapers, etc. (there were 2 babies on board the cable car)

• Portable, makeshift toilet bucket, paper rolls

• Snacks (e.g. energy bars, biscuits etc.)

• Blankets, alternate heating source (I believe the main heat goes out with power.)

• Radio for news, etc.

• Flashlights

Additional items:

• Some means for the operator to attach himself/herself (e.g. belt) securely to a cable car bar for potentially risky procedures like opening up the trap door on the floor and standing nearby while hauling up the bucket.

• Gloves (they make it easier on the hands when pulling the cable).

• New cable to pull up buckets from the ground. The cable we used easily got tangled up (we dropped and hauled up the bucket twice).

3. Suggestions for improvement of the rescue operation of the Tram:

• More information/communication from the police/fire departments to the operator and riders about the status of a rescue mission as it is ongoing. They provided updates infrequently after several hours. Riders received informal news about the rescue operation by using cell phones to reach relatives and friends who were watching the incident on TV news.

• The police/fire departments first rescued the riders on the Tram over the East River and then rescued the passengers on the Tram over Manhattan. I believe that they could have performed the two rescue operations at the same time since different rescue equipment and personnel were used. That would have saved a few hours of waiting for the riders in the Tram over Manhattan.

• Study and plans for the best way for the police/fire departments to reach the cable car, if necessary, at different points along its route.

Sornakumar Nathan

I am writing to express my aggravation with the apparent disregard for the customer at Gristede’s store 517. I have lived on the Island for over 28 years, and have watched the service levels degrade from year to year. My most recent experience happened early this afternoon and I finally felt obliged to share with the corporate customer service department my frustration.

I arrived at the store at about 12:30 p.m. – to use the bottle redemption machine. There was a line (as there almost always is on a Saturday, since the store only has 1 machine). While the person ahead of me was placing their bottles in the machine, the bottle section of the machine became full. It took 3 requests and 15 minutes to get the machine attended to, emptied and started up again. So from when I entered the store, it took 30 minutes to redeem 31 bottles.

Whenever I approach the manager of the store on Saturday (the only day that I can get to the store, as I work full time), I get the feeling that I am an imposition to him, that he’d much rather be anywhere else in the world except helping me.

Part of running a grocery store is realizing that the customers are why the store is there. Part of running any retail establishment is understanding this. And there appears to be a real problem getting management in this store that understands this. There is no sense of customer service, no sense of urgency, and no regard for "taking care of business."

Going to this store only reminds me why I choose to shop at Waldbaums, and use Gristede’s for emergencies only. Until customer service becomes mission #1, there is no reason for me to shop there unless forced to.

Karen Bdera

As a follow-up to Robert Liss’s letter (May 6): As a 28-year resident and as an original director of RIOC for 12-13 years, it is obvious that RIOC has neither the skills nor the conscience to be responsible for the Tram. Therefore, I urge that we (residents and our elected representatives) do everything possible to get the MTA to take over the operation of the Tramway.

• The MTA is in the business of mass transit.

• The MTA is self-insured.

• The MTA has mechanical and electrical engineers on staff who can oversee contracts with companies who have previous expertise.

• The MTA would also ensure oversight of the daily maintenance operations.

If we do not take action soon, we leave ourselves in a vulnerable position in regard to the future operation of the Tram.

At Gristede’s, the shelves set aside for frozen orange juice have been empty for six weeks now. (This form of orange juice happens to be an essential ingredient in my daily health drink and the liquid form is not a substutute for it.) Is there no one in charge of stocking? This mismanagement episode brought to mind an egregious experience of two years ago in the store many of us are stuck with on the Island: I purchased two round cartons of the type of frozen orange juice that has been missing of late which, when examined at home, turned out to be two years old. I returned them and, after being quizzed about when I purchased them, received a refund. A week later they turned up again, having been returned to the freezer.

George Morrison

Might I suggest that simply a stairway from Roosevelt Island to the Queensborough Bridge’s pedestrian walkway would attract many currently-fit or fitness-minded Roosevelt-Islanders to forgo both the subway and the Tram, and simply climb-and-walk to Manhattan, and walk-and-descend from Manhattan on the return trip. Such a construction would be a permanent, easy, and extremely-low-cost-maintenance means of exiting and returning to the Island.

If, in addition, we were to add an elevator to the bridge’s pedestrian walkway, at no charge to its users, then I would expect that many more Roosevelt Islanders would take advantage of such a walk-ascend-and-walk commute to Manhattan, and back. Such an elevator would also provide those who are wheelchair-bound with a means of getting to Manhattan without needing the subway or the Tram. The cost of the maintenance of such an elevator would be negligible, especially when compared to the costs of maintaining the Tram.

Michael Drake

A recent issue of the RIOC publication, RIOC News, contains the claim that RIOC’s "charter" requires it to be self-sufficient. My commentary in the May 6 WIRE pointed out that there is no legal requirement that Roosevelt Island or RIOC be self-sufficient.

I have even examined the recent amendments to the Public Authorities Law, and find nothing there, either, to suggest RIOC’s claim has any validity. It is, quite clearly, simply a policy of the current State administration.

The amended law does require that RIOC and other public authorities dispose of real property (defined to include granting long term ground leases to developers of Southtown and extensions of ground leases to the existing Northtown buildings) for "fair market value" but there are exceptions to that requirement where it creates a "substantial source of revenues" to the public authority or where it can justify a lease as furthering "public health, safety or welfare or an economic development of the State" even if not for "fair market value."

As a result of these new amendments to the Public Authorities Law, new pressure does exist on RIOC and other public authorities to act in a business-like fashion when negotiating leases, but I repeat my view that there is no law, rule, regulation or court order requiring RIOC to be self-sufficient (and I doubt it can be due to its unique responsibilities to operate and maintain this Island).

Robert Chira

In response to your May 1 letter concerning scheduled weekend service diversions on the F line which affect the Roosevelt Island station:

I assure you that MTA New York City Transit never performs "unnecessary service work." These diversions are related to securing the system against potential terrorist attacks. If you are interested, my staff would be happy to arrange a briefing for you.

The diversion for this upcoming weekend, May 6-8, involves Queens-bound trains running on the V line through the 53rd Street tunnel, skipping Roosevelt Island. To reach Roosevelt Island from Manhattan, customers must ride the Queens-bound F to Roosevelt Avenue, then transfer for a Manhattan-bound F to Roosevelt Island. Manhattan-bound service will run normally.

Over the years, when the Tram has been out of service for long-term maintenance, NYC Transit has run similar one-way diversions with little or no impact. While we seek to avoid subway diversions affecting Roosvelt Island service when the Tram is not in operation, I am sure you would agree that hardening our system against potential terrorist attacks must remain our priority.

Lawrence G. Reuter, President
MTA New York City Transit

Thank you for your prompt response to my letter of May 1, 2006, requesting that the MTA suspend any unnecessary service work on Roosevelt Island-bound F trains. While I would like to see service work suspended while the Tram is out of service, I understand the importance of upgrading our transportation infrastructure to better protect us against a potential terrorist attack.

It has come to my attention that in the past when the MTA has done service work on the F train and the Roosevelt Island Tram has been out of service, the MTA has provided shuttle service to and from the Roosevelt Island subway station to the Queens Plaza station.

I am formally requesting the MTA to implement similar shuttle service while the Tram is out of service and service is being diverted on the F train. For now, the dates in question are May 20-22 and May 27-30. This shuttle service would greatly enhance the quality of transit options and would ensure that the residents will not have to be further inconvenienced.

If you have any questions, or if my office can be of any assistance in working to resolve this problem, please do not hesitate to contact my Legislative Director, Amos Buhai, at 212-535-5554.

Jessica S. Lappin, Councilmember
5th District, Manhattan