Roosevelt Island Tramway
| Roosevelt Island Tramway | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Overview | |
| Status | Operational |
| Character | Aerial tramway |
| System | Poma#GondolasPomagalski |
| Location | Manhattan, New York City, U.S. |
| Termini |
Upper East Side (west) Roosevelt Island (east) |
| Elevation | highest: 250 ft (76 m) |
| No. of stations | 2 |
| Open | May 17, 1976 |
| Reopened | November 30, 2010 |
| Operation | |
| Operator | Roosevelt Island Operating Corp. |
| Technical features | |
| Line length | 3,100 ft (940 m) |
| Operating speed | 17.9 mph (28.8 km/h) |
| Notes | Electric motor powering cable bullwheel |
The Roosevelt Island Tramway is an aerial tramway in New York City that spans the East River and connects Roosevelt Island to the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Prior to the completion of the Mississippi Aerial River Transit in May 1984 and the Portland Aerial Tram in December 2006, it was the only commuter aerial tramway in North America.
Over 26 million passengers have used the tram since it began operation in 1976. Each cabin has a capacity of up to 110 people and makes approximately 115 trips per day. The tram moves at about 17.9 mph (28.8 km/h) and travels 3,100 feet (940 m) in 3 minutes. At its peak it climbs to 250 feet (76 m) above the East River as it follows its route on the north side of the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge, providing views of the East Side of Midtown Manhattan. Two cabins make the run at fifteen-minute intervals from 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. (3:30 a.m. on weekends) and continuously during rush hours. It is one of the few forms of mass transit in New York City not run by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, but uses that system's MetroCard and has free transfers to that system.
The tram is operated by LPOA (Leitner-Poma of America) on behalf of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation of the State of New York, a state public benefit corporation created in 1984 to run services on the island.
Roosevelt Island had been connected to Manhattan by a trolley line that crossed over the Queensboro Bridge from its opening in 1909. Trolleys to and from Queens stopped in the middle of the bridge to meet an elevator, which then took passengers down to the island. As the only connection to the rest of the city from the island, the trolley remained in service until April 7, 1957, long after most other trolley service had been dismantled in the city, and was the last trolley line in New York State; it was replaced by buses. At that time, a bridge to Queens was completed, requiring a roundabout trip to reach Manhattan.
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