Roosevelt Island locals want fast pass to take tram as selfie-crazed tourists turn transit into attraction
Fed-up Roosevelt Islanders want 'priority boarding' for residents who are routinely forced to wait in line with hordes of selfie-obsessed tourists who've turned the transportation system into a carnival ride.
Lines to board the tram to Roosevelt Island from the Upper East Side's Tramway Plaza have gotten so out of hand locals may wait up to 45 minutes, residents told The Post.
'There's no animosity against the tourists at all, we encourage them to come and enjoy the place we have,' said Paul Krikler, a five-year Roosevelt Island resident and Manhattan Community Board 8 chair. 'But the trouble is, it's become a tourist ride, not public transit.'
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7 Lines to board the tram to Roosevelt Island from the Upper East Side's Tramway Plaza have gotten so out of hand locals may wait up to 45 minutes.
Leonardo Munoz
There are other options to get on and off Roosevelt including ferry service downtown and F train on the subway — but locals said there aren't enough to compete with the demand when locals are scheduling doctor's appointments or arranging school pickup and dropoff.
'What we just want and need is the understanding and respect as residents, as employees,' said Felicia Ruff, the vice president of the Roosevelt Island Residents' Association. 'We're late for work because there's a crowd … we understand it's a bucket list [item], but you can take the next tram as a visitor.'
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Tram ridership has surged as the scenic ride made several social media 'Top 10' lists for visitors to the Big Apple. There's been a million additional riders in the last two years, data shows.
'It's become a nightmare,' said 69-year-old resident Louella Streitz, noting the island's sole F train station's elevators are often out of service, which cause a headache for the area's aging population. 'We can't get home. I fight [tourists on the tram], I can't wait – I just push my way in.'
7 There are other options to get on and off Roosevelt including ferry service downtown and F train on the subway.
Leonardo Munoz
7 Locals said other transportation methods aren't enough to compete with the demand when locals are scheduling doctor's appointments or arranging school pickup.
Leonardo Munoz
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The battle over tram access inspired a rally at Tramway Plaza on Sunday afternoon, with the likes of council member Julie Menin, Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Democratic mayoral candidate Scott Stringer showing support for the disgruntled Roosevelt Island commuters.
During her remarks, Menin proposed a 'win-win' solution for residents to enter the tram on a fast-track – and offer a tourist pass to boost business once visitors are on Roosevelt Island.
7 Tram ridership has surged as the scenic ride made several social media 'Top 10' lists for visitors to the Big Apple.
Leonardo Munoz
'We would let residents go first, and we could also promote all of the incredible tourist destinations on Roosevelt Island,' said Menin, adding that she will be meeting with Gov. Kathy Hochul's office this month to discuss the matter. 'It is very common sense, and we want to make sure that it happens now.'
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The call for priority boarding on the tram is hardly new. When the F train was suspended from August 2023 to April 2024, locals asked the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC) – the state agency that manages the tram – for passes to bypass burgeoning groups of social media-obsessed tourists returning to Gotham after the pandemic.
At the time, RIOC argued it's illegal to discriminate against riders based on residency under state transit law, as well as the terms of its various contracts with the MTA and the city.
7 The battle over tram access inspired a rally at Tramway Plaza on Sunday afternoon.
Leonardo Munoz
A rep for RIOC told The Post its 'official comment is the statement we put out in 2023,' which rebutted that the tram is 'open equally to all New Yorkers and to the millions of people who visit New York City every year.'
But residents like Krikler claim the new congestion on the tram has caused a 'transportation crisis' that creates a 'reasonable' need to prioritize Roosevelt Island locals and workers — and jurisdictions from Portland, Maine to Puerto Rico already tout similar preferential programs.
7 RIOC argued it's illegal to discriminate against riders based on residency under state transit law, as well as the terms of its various contracts with the MTA and the city.
Leonardo Munoz
Despite RIOC's refusal to consider the proposal, over 2,500 locals signed a November petition and the local community board passed a resolution the following month opting for the priority boarding passes.
In its resolution, the board argued priority passes for the tram were issued to locals in 1976 amid similar tourism concerns. The group pointed to other preferential programs such as a 2023 toll rebate program for Queens and Bronx residents who use the Henry Hudson Bridge and Cross Bay Bridge.
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7 Despite RIOC's refusal to consider the proposal, over 2,500 locals signed a November petition opting for the priority boarding passes.
Leonardo Munoz
Krikler told The Post he and other locals surveyed tourists waiting in line in December, who reported they 'wouldn't mind at all' if priority passes were issued to residents — but not all tourists appear to agree with the plan.
First-time visitor Yolanda Pedraza, of Colombia, told The Post the policy seems 'unfair' to those who travel from around the world for the panoramic views.
'It's a beautiful place to visit,' she said. 'I know many people come from all over the world – no, I don't think it's fair.'
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New York Post
a day ago
- New York Post
Roosevelt Island locals want fast pass to take tram as selfie-crazed tourists turn transit into attraction
Fed-up Roosevelt Islanders want 'priority boarding' for residents who are routinely forced to wait in line with hordes of selfie-obsessed tourists who've turned the transportation system into a carnival ride. Lines to board the tram to Roosevelt Island from the Upper East Side's Tramway Plaza have gotten so out of hand locals may wait up to 45 minutes, residents told The Post. 'There's no animosity against the tourists at all, we encourage them to come and enjoy the place we have,' said Paul Krikler, a five-year Roosevelt Island resident and Manhattan Community Board 8 chair. 'But the trouble is, it's become a tourist ride, not public transit.' Advertisement 7 Lines to board the tram to Roosevelt Island from the Upper East Side's Tramway Plaza have gotten so out of hand locals may wait up to 45 minutes. Leonardo Munoz There are other options to get on and off Roosevelt including ferry service downtown and F train on the subway — but locals said there aren't enough to compete with the demand when locals are scheduling doctor's appointments or arranging school pickup and dropoff. 'What we just want and need is the understanding and respect as residents, as employees,' said Felicia Ruff, the vice president of the Roosevelt Island Residents' Association. 'We're late for work because there's a crowd … we understand it's a bucket list [item], but you can take the next tram as a visitor.' Advertisement Tram ridership has surged as the scenic ride made several social media 'Top 10' lists for visitors to the Big Apple. There's been a million additional riders in the last two years, data shows. 'It's become a nightmare,' said 69-year-old resident Louella Streitz, noting the island's sole F train station's elevators are often out of service, which cause a headache for the area's aging population. 'We can't get home. I fight [tourists on the tram], I can't wait – I just push my way in.' 7 There are other options to get on and off Roosevelt including ferry service downtown and F train on the subway. Leonardo Munoz 7 Locals said other transportation methods aren't enough to compete with the demand when locals are scheduling doctor's appointments or arranging school pickup. Leonardo Munoz Advertisement The battle over tram access inspired a rally at Tramway Plaza on Sunday afternoon, with the likes of council member Julie Menin, Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Democratic mayoral candidate Scott Stringer showing support for the disgruntled Roosevelt Island commuters. During her remarks, Menin proposed a 'win-win' solution for residents to enter the tram on a fast-track – and offer a tourist pass to boost business once visitors are on Roosevelt Island. 7 Tram ridership has surged as the scenic ride made several social media 'Top 10' lists for visitors to the Big Apple. Leonardo Munoz 'We would let residents go first, and we could also promote all of the incredible tourist destinations on Roosevelt Island,' said Menin, adding that she will be meeting with Gov. Kathy Hochul's office this month to discuss the matter. 'It is very common sense, and we want to make sure that it happens now.' Advertisement The call for priority boarding on the tram is hardly new. When the F train was suspended from August 2023 to April 2024, locals asked the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC) – the state agency that manages the tram – for passes to bypass burgeoning groups of social media-obsessed tourists returning to Gotham after the pandemic. At the time, RIOC argued it's illegal to discriminate against riders based on residency under state transit law, as well as the terms of its various contracts with the MTA and the city. 7 The battle over tram access inspired a rally at Tramway Plaza on Sunday afternoon. Leonardo Munoz A rep for RIOC told The Post its 'official comment is the statement we put out in 2023,' which rebutted that the tram is 'open equally to all New Yorkers and to the millions of people who visit New York City every year.' But residents like Krikler claim the new congestion on the tram has caused a 'transportation crisis' that creates a 'reasonable' need to prioritize Roosevelt Island locals and workers — and jurisdictions from Portland, Maine to Puerto Rico already tout similar preferential programs. 7 RIOC argued it's illegal to discriminate against riders based on residency under state transit law, as well as the terms of its various contracts with the MTA and the city. Leonardo Munoz Despite RIOC's refusal to consider the proposal, over 2,500 locals signed a November petition and the local community board passed a resolution the following month opting for the priority boarding passes. In its resolution, the board argued priority passes for the tram were issued to locals in 1976 amid similar tourism concerns. The group pointed to other preferential programs such as a 2023 toll rebate program for Queens and Bronx residents who use the Henry Hudson Bridge and Cross Bay Bridge. Advertisement 7 Despite RIOC's refusal to consider the proposal, over 2,500 locals signed a November petition opting for the priority boarding passes. Leonardo Munoz Krikler told The Post he and other locals surveyed tourists waiting in line in December, who reported they 'wouldn't mind at all' if priority passes were issued to residents — but not all tourists appear to agree with the plan. First-time visitor Yolanda Pedraza, of Colombia, told The Post the policy seems 'unfair' to those who travel from around the world for the panoramic views. 'It's a beautiful place to visit,' she said. 'I know many people come from all over the world – no, I don't think it's fair.'
Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Boston Globe
‘I don't know why the president has this problem': Trump had a history of disparaging Haiti and Haitians before the travel ban
So when Haiti was included late Wednesday in a list of countries on which Trump was imposing a near-total travel ban, some saw a culmination of a long campaign against the population. Advertisement 'Donald Trump has been very consistent in his anti-Black racism, both domestically and globally, and when it comes to the country of Haiti, the people of Haiti, he has a long track record of vile, offensive, harmful rhetoric and policies,' said Boston Representative Ayanna Pressley, who co-chairs the congressional Haiti Caucus. 'It is just purely evil.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Florida Democratic Representative Maxwell Frost, who is of Haitian descent, echoed Pressley's comment that the travel ban is 'rooted in bigotry.' 'It does nothing to make our communities safer, but it does vilify immigrants,' Frost said in a statement. 'It will devastate our immigrant families across this country.' In response to Pressley's accusations, the White House called her assertions 'lazy, unfounded and just straight-up false.' Advertisement 'While President Trump is fulfilling his promise to unite the country and keep the American people safe, Pressley is desperate to divide us and smearing our heroic law enforcement officials in the process,' White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said in a statement, pointing to the rationale listed in the ban. Haiti is one of 12 countries facing a near-total ban on travel to the United States under Trump's new order, which cites an inability to vet immigrants for national security risks and a high rate of people overstaying their visas as justification for the measure. There are limited exceptions, including current visa-holders, permanent residents, dual nationals, athletic teams, and certain immediate family members of US residents. Other countries affected include Afghanistan, Iran, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen. The move follows several other Trump administration actions that have had an impact on the Haitian community in the United States, including an early end to Temporary Protected Status protections for an estimated through the appeals process. Trump made similar moves in his first administration though most were ultimately blocked by the courts. The United States first granted Haitian migrants protection from deportation after the 2010 earthquake that devastated the country. Since then, a string of natural disasters and political conflicts have worsened conditions. Today, gang violence, crime, and instability are rampant on the island. Advertisement Amid the worsening situation, many Haitians sought refuge in the United States or came to join family here, either through the CHNV program, legal avenues, or without permission. Massachusetts has the third-largest population of Haitians in the US, including an estimated 15,000 who held TPS, But the influx of migration from Haiti has also spurred backlash, Illinois Senator Dick Durbin, who was the only Democrat in the 2018 meeting with Trump's now-infamous comments, said he doesn't understand why Haiti seems to irk the president as it does. 'His hatred over Haiti is just impossible to explain,' Durbin said. 'I've been there many times. And this is one of the poorest nations on Earth, the poorest in our hemisphere, these people are suffering and need help, and they're wonderful people. I don't know why the president has this problem.' But Republicans defended Trump's actions and denied there was any animus behind it. Representative Mario Diaz-Balart, a Republican who has backed pro-immigration policies in the past, was also in that 2018 meeting. And while Diaz-Balart declined to talk about what was said, he does not believe Trump has an issue with Haitians. Advertisement 'No, I don't,' he said. 'I really don't. I really, really don't.' His South Florida district is home to a large Haitian population and others affected by the CHNV and TPS reversals, including Cubans but he defended the travel ban. 'There are countries obviously that can't guarantee a process where we know that people are [vetted] to keep the country secure,' Diaz-Balart said. 'I don't think it's unreasonable.' Former Florida Republican Representative Carlos Curbelo, a moderate who was part of the immigration negotiations in 2018 that preceded the meeting, said Trump seems to prefer 'white-collar' immigrants or those whom Trump perceives to be have been recruited or have sufficient resources to come here. 'I don't think he understands or cares that those types of comments and campaigns unfairly mischaracterize hundreds of thousands of people at a time, and I don't think he understands that just because you're a refugee or an exile, that doesn't mean that you aren't capable of making major contributions to this country,' Curbelo said. Noting the Cuban exile community where he (and Diaz-Balart) hail from, Curbelo continued: 'It's people who had to leave their country, that was not their first choice, that was their only choice, and that doesn't preclude people from becoming exceptional Americans who do wonderful things.' Pressley, though, is convinced Trump's approach to Haitians is a concerted effort. She compared the trauma inflicted on the migrant community to the terror campaign of the white supremacist Ku Klux Klan, saying it gets harder to fight back and project optimism when the actions layer on top of each other. 'It is terrorizing. It is terrifying. It is traumatic,' Pressley said. 'And it's just so intentional. ... Singling out Haitians, I mean, he's moved in a way that is obsessive and consistently, pointedly harmful.' Advertisement Tal Kopan can be reached at
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Iranian-American, Haitian Democratic lawmakers denounce Trump's travel ban
Democratic Rep. Anna Eskamani and Democratic Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith speaking at a press conference in the Capitol on March. 19, 2025 (Photo credit: Mitch Perry / Florida Phoenix) Florida Democrats from countries in President Donald Trump's travel ban list denounced the policy that they say punishes families and hurts the economy during a virtual press conference Friday morning. Orlando Democrat Anna Eskamani, who's Iranian-American, said she worries she won't be able to see her aging grandmother before she passes. 'It is a very difficult reality for many of us, where we are navigating conflict in these homelands that are dictorial in nature, that make it difficult already to survive, and for folks who are fleeing that to achieve the American dream, it is heartbreaking and unAmerican that they cannot do that,' Eskamani said. Trump issued a proclamation late Wednesday barring the entry of people from a dozen countries, including Iran, and partially restricting entry of nationals from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. Florida is home to the largest population of Cubans, Venezuelans, and Haitians in the country. The travel ban proclamation, which cited national security concerns, goes into effect on Monday. The Democrats, who are in the superminority at the state Legislature, said Congress needed to be held accountable, particularly Florida's Republican delegation. 'At least within the Haitian community, ever since on the campaign trail, this administration has been targeting Haitians, and it's turned its back on Cubans as well,' said North Miami Democratic Rep. Dottie Joseph, of Haiti. Seminole Republican Rep. Berny Jacques, who is from Haiti, supports the Trump administration's policy. 'It is essential for our nation's sovereignty and security,' he wrote to Florida Phoenix. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
