The residents of Roosevelt Island are a couple weeks closer to getting their tram back. That is, if they want it. The tram, which had two cars stuck for basically half a day with 68 people in them back in April, was tested yesterday and went well. The tram has been out of service since the April 18th stuckage-suckage, and the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation put $500,000 into upgrading machines and tested evacuation plans. That sounds great - we're assuming that they fixed the backup and the second backup systems, which were both busted.
The NY Times spoke to some of the April 18th passengers who were stuck without food or toilet facilities. Both Wanda Rivera and Lee Anne Siegel said they would not ride the tram again, not even with the knowledge that there would be "a miniature toilet, a bucket with a privacy curtain." Siegel, who was on the tram with her baby daughter, said, “Wow. It’s one of those things you never want to have to use.” Seriously, but if you gotta go... The NY Times also reports that the trams will have enough food, water and blankets for the maximum capacity of the tram - 125 people - and additional cellphones for emergency purposes.
The tram still needs to get the okay from NY State, but this begs the question: Will you be going on board? Gothamist might - as long as we go to the bathroom before and bring some power bars.
Photograph of the tram test from Roosevelt Island by Louis Lanzano/AP
