Post by Steven Dale
The rebuilt Roosevelt Island Tram. Image by flickr user bitchcakesny.
On Tuesday, New York’s Roosevelt Island Tram reopened after a 9 month, $25 million refurbishment.
The rebuild, conducted by Poma, transforms the system from an Aerial Tram to a Funifor-type system. That means vehicles will operate independently of one another. When one vehicle is taken out of service, the other can still be operational. This should have a significant impact on speed, wait times, quality of service and capacity. For obvious reasons, the system will still be called the Roosevelt Island Tram and not the Roosevelt Island Funifor.
For a history of the Roosevelt Island Tram, please check out an article I wrote for Urban Omnibus entitled Off the Road and Into the Skies. You can find the direct link here or a link by way of The Gondola Project here.
We’re hoping to have fresh, original video of the new system for you next week. In the mean time, here’s what the rest of the internet is saying about the reopening:
- Transportation Nation interviews Roosevelt Island resident Cynthia Baird whose going to wait a day or two before riding the system “in case it falls.”
- The Epoch Times discusses several of the new redundant fail-safe mechanisms built into the system.
- The New York Observer has a great video from NYPOST.com.
- Gadling’s Mike Barish has some strong observations about the systems usefulness and attractiveness.
- The Greenwich Time carries a piece from the Associated Press detailing some of the people behind the scenes of the Tram.
- The Gothamist describes the reopening.
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Want more? Purchase Cable Car Confidential: The Essential Guide to Cable Cars, Urban Gondolas & Cable Propelled Transit and start learning about the world's fastest growing transportation technologies.
