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To City Councilmember Jessica Lappin: As you know, the Tram has been out of service and we hope it will return soon. However, the crowding of the F train, especially in the morning rush hour, has been a long-term problem, even prior to the disruption in Tram service. I am writing to suggest improvements that would add more service to Roosevelt Island – improvements that would greatly reduce platform crowding, yet are easy to implement. I’ve spoken with train controllers in several points in the system, and with motormen, as well. There are two main constraints to providing additional service to Roosevelt Island. The first concerns the "63rd Street Connector" (track switches and interlocks in Long Island City) that is said to be "at capacity," which means that the number of trains entering and exiting certain portions of the interlock are at their maximum (but not all portions are at their maximum). For Manhattan-bound trains, the 63rd Street Connector is one bottleneck. The second constraint, also a bottleneck, concerns traffic arriving at Rockefeller Center. The following are two possibilities that could improve service for Roosevelt Island. Possibility #1: Extend northbound Q service, which now terminates at 57th/7th, through Roosevelt Island to a new northern terminus at 21st/Queensbridge. After reversing and switching to Manhattan-bound tracks, trains would arrive nearly empty at Roosevelt Island. This kind of terminus and track switch is already familiar to the MTA because this was the normal method of terminating trains at 21st Street/Queensbridge prior to the subway being extended to the E-F-G-R lines. Possibility #2: Reroute some morning inbound V and/or R trains through Roosevelt Island, marking them "via 63rd/Lex." The MTA already does this at times to relieve congestion in the 53rd and 60th Street tunnels, so no significant change in procedure is required. Current MTA policy, according to the train controllers, is to route V and R trains from the last local stop (36th Street) in Long Island City through 63rd/Lex when there is congestion in the 53rd Street or 60th Street tunnels. Thus, there is no significant change in procedures with this kind of approach towards increasing service. Either approach would solve the problem of trains reaching Roosevelt Island with no space for passengers. I hope you contact the MTA to validate these possibilities, and that you are able to have at least one of them implemented. It is possible that some trial period may be required to determine which approach works best. Frank Farance
Editor’s note: The letter above was shortened for space reasons, removing some technical detail.
Mr. Lawrence Reuter, President Dear President Reuter: Enclosed is a detailed and compelling proposal from a constituent, Mr. Frank Farance, regarding additional subway service on Roosevelt Island. As you may be aware, the population on Roosevelt Island is growing at a rapid clip. There are approximately 10,000 residents on Roosevelt Island. That number is expected to grow by up to 80% over the next 5 years, potentially swelling the Island to 18,000 residents. This growing number of residents, coupled with the current disruption in Tram service, is putting an incredible strain on the F Train. Riders already complain that the platform is overcrowded and unsafe during the morning and evening rush hours, and that trains are already over capacity when they enter the Roosevelt Island station. This problem will only get worse as the Island’s population continues to grow. Mr. Farance has developed an innovative proposal to deal with this issue. The enclosed Power Point presentation lays out an interesting plan to add capacity, particularly during the AM and PM rush hours, by extending Q service to 21st Street-Queensbridge. This thoughtful plan presents a promising solution to this problem. I look forward to discussing the feasibility of this proposal with you, or with the appropriate staff. If my office can be of any assistance, please do not hesitate to contact my Legislative Director, Amos Buhai, at 212-788-6865. Jessica S. Lappin
To the Editor: I love picnics and barbecues. They create the perfect environment for the enjoyment of cooking and eating with family, friends, and children, music and good wine, as long as it is done in the appropriate space. The front lawn of the park, which extends beyond the Meditation Steps, is not the appropriate space for barbecues. The last almost 30 years that I have been a resident of Roosevelt Island, the park was meant for the general population to sit and relax, find shelter from the hot sun, and also was a respite from the noise of the street and a place to enjoy the view of the river. I think the two barbecue grills are an eyesore and do not belong there. E. Puccio
To the Editor: I visited Roosevelt Island on July 4 for the fireworks festival, and felt compelled to write to the members of the community. It was my first visit to the Island since 1975, when I went there looking for an apartment and saw new buildings with no residents yet. It made me so sorry that I did not rent that apartment so many years ago. I wanted to send a thank-you to the residents of Roosevelt Island for the wonderful community that they all so obviously love and contribute to, and opened to the general public with such pride. My experience was nothing less than spectacular, and I don’t mean just the show. The sense of community that you all share was awe inspiring. What a wonderful place you have all made together. Congratulations to you all. Elaine Incandela
To RIOC President Herb Berman: The removal of stop signs along Main Street is a serious and life-threatening issue. It is especially troublesome at the intersection of Main Street and the ramp. On many occasions in the last few weeks, there have been near misses as cars go careening around the turn to get onto the ramp or make a turn onto Main Street. I hope that my prediction that a child or wheelchair-bound person will get hit by a non-compliant speeding car or truck on Main Street doesn’t materialize. However, based on what I’ve observed since the signs were changed, I think it’s only a matter of time until there is a bad accident, and it will happen on your watch. I imagine that the stop signs were removed to appease the developers who are trying to sell or rent more apartments and find it annoying to have the stop signs along this street. How sad that RIOC and the State of New York have totally forgotten or obliterated the purpose of limiting and controlling traffic. By the way, the new signs read "State Law" and show the yield to pedestrian icons...as if our Main Street is not supposed to be under the jurisdiction of New York City law. Does that mean the streets of Roosevelt Island are only subject to State law? If so, doesn’t that imply that we are not then subject to City law? And if that’s the case, doesn’t it mean I should not be subject to any New York City taxes? So, do I live in New York City? If so, shouldn’t my street signs reflect New York City law? Raye Schwartz
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