Roosevelt Island locals want fast pass to take tram as selfie-crazed tourists turn transit into attraction

Yahoo

2 days ago

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.'
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.'
Tram ridership has surged as the scenic ride made several social media 'Top 10' lists for visitors to the Big Apple. There were a million more riders last year than the year prior, the latest 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.'
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.
'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.'
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.
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.
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.
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.'