New Tram Cabin Arrives on Island !

One of the two new Tram cabins arrived on Roosevelt Island today. The ver helpful Judy Berdy forwarded a number of pictures to this blogger, the Roosevelt Islander and the Main Street WIRE.

NY1: Video re New Roosevelt Island Tram Cabins - Not Exactly

NY1's website has video this morning from France (?) regarding the new cabins for the Roosevelt Island Tram. The lead in is a bit misleading as you expect to see an actual new tram. But it is another story starting with a rendering and filled up with video of the old tram cabins.

Crains: RI Bridge Construction Equal to New Yankee Stadium

Like many New Yorkers, Roosevelt Island residents would love to think of ourselves as the center of the universe but we know different.

However in a Crain's New York Business.com article, posted this afternoon on-line, regarding the appointment of Skanska as MSG's rehabilitation construction manager Skanska's work on the Roosevelt Island Bridge was labelled a "major" New York project right there along the building of new Yankee Stadium.

Amusing. Who are we to argue?

ESDC Approves $15M Grant to Modernize Tram

As expected the ESDC approved a $15 million grant to modernize the Roosevelt Island Tram. This grant was a formality as the funds were already budgeted for this purpose. The complete of the press release is as follows:

7/17/2008

ESDC BOARD APPROVES $17.6 MILLION IN DOWNSTATE GRANTS

Empire State Development Corporation's Board of Directors met today in Manhattan and approved downstate grants totaling $17.6 million. Among the grants approved was $15 million to help modernize the Roosevelt Islandtram. The tram will contribute to the economic impact of Roosevelt Islandby ensuring a reliable form of transportation for residents to travel backand forth to the city.

The Roosevelt Island tram began operating in 1976. There are 20 other trams operating in the U.S. and Canada but the Roosevelt Island tram is the only aerial commuter tram in the country. Originally built as a temporary means of transportation for island residents by New York State's Urban Development Corporation, it has become a permanent part of the lifeof the island and a treasure for New Yorkers and visitors throughout the world.

Tram Racing : It's a Photo Finish

I saw the above image on Flickr (by danbox) and it immediately made me realize that once the Roosevelt Island Tram cabins are each on their own cable system (after the 2009 rehab / reconstruction) it will forever change the dynamics of how we see the tram operate. Yes we all knew this and it will be amazing.

Can you imagine the first trips when the cabins could travel side by side for the entire length of the bridge. Today we see hundreds of videos put up on YouTube of an individual cabins crossing. I am already picturing tourists waiting for the rare event of tandem tram crossings where a pair friends can videotape each other as their respective cabins "race" from Manhattan towards Roosevelt Island together. Granted RIOC will not purposefully run too many of these tandem trips but if the cables and towers can handle the stress and weight of a tandem crossing I am sure it will happen.