Roosevelt Live Expands Concert Web Site

The folks over at Roosevelt L!ve have expanded their website to truly give interested concert goers full detail about the groups that will be attending this exciting Roosevelt Island located Summer concert series.

Do you think the character of the island or public perception of the island could change a bit if this concert series is successful?

Rating Local Government ? A Survey of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp ?

Apparently the NYC Public Advocate’s office in conjunction with the Mayor’s office will, in the coming weeks, be sending out paper surveys to 100,000 New Yorkers on a variety of topics regarding the level and quality of city services. It should be interesting to see what results. Comments I have read on the web include whether the survey should have been set up electronically enabling the entire City to participate as opposed to a paper system which will be more costly to administer and tabulate.

I wonder if a survey of RIOC and the services provided on our little island would enable us to learn what our populace finds important and how they feel RIOC is performing.

I am not advocating such a survey should immediately be set up as I am very often disappointed when turnouts are low as they can very often lead to more finger pointing as to whether the survey and votes are truly valid to begin with if and when the percentages of respondents is so low.

In the last six months we saw Islanders participate in the ballot process “electing” our RIOC Board Nominees in what was seen as a record turnout where 1718 ballots were submitted. This election coincided with the general February 5th primary drawing voters into PS217 and other voting locations. We also saw a paper survey regarding the FDR Memorial which included a centrally located ballot box at the PSD office where 207 island residents participated. This was seen as a low turnout.

If the RIOC Board Nominees are actualy seated on the Board a future "survey" of RIOC will include if they are elected again and appointed again.

Would a survey of RIOC and the services they provide yield any new and usable information without it becoming a venue for extremists with axes to grind to make unnecessary noise? Perhaps. What do think? Could it be useful and what questions should be asked? I am guessing RIRA has run similar surveys in the past and I plan to look into their results if they are still available to gauge what level of turnout could be expected if another survey would be run today.

In the end I would expect it always a good thing to see what people think so if anything improvements can be made and perhaps new services provided where they are needed.

Does Anyone Commute via Bicycle from Roosevelt Island to Manhattan?

What I am curious about is does anyone bicycle from Roosevelt Island to Manhattan via LIC, Queens to the Queensboro Bridge into Manhattan? I know a few bikes travel via the Tram into Manhattan but they are few in number and I have not heard any complaints due to the low number.

StreetFilms today, ran a story today with accompanying video, about Transportation Alternative’s 7th Annual Commuter Challenge from Fort Greene Brooklyn to Union Square, Manhattan. To give away the ending the bike won at 16 minutes, second place went to the car at 22 minutes and the transit rider (bus/subway) came in last at 29 minutes. The biggest surprise was the last place finish of the transit rider but that may be do in part to her combined bus / subway trip as opposed to a single subway ride.

I would have to expect that if a similar challenge took place from Roosevelt Island that the cyclist would be starting from a disadvantage having to ride first in Queens and then across to the Queensboro Bridge.

Please participate in the below poll question re bicycles and commuting into Manhattan:

A Roosevelt Island Transportation Survey

Please answer each of the below poll questions regarding transportation issues affecting Roosevelt Island:

FDR Memorial: The Four Questions Plus One

I realize a survey is being distributed as an insert with this week’s Main Street WIRE but I wanted to post this unscientific online survey and see what we get at the end of the next two weeks. Please vote only once and answer all five questions.

Update: 1:00 PM EST
My apologies as I have restarted the polls using a different service which does not throw you off this site for each poll. Please revote if you had already earlier today.