By Della Hasselle
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
UPPER EAST SIDE — The new $25 million Roosevelt Island tram station will debut October 15 with a sleek design that includes a red paint job, improved lighting, restrooms for the disabled and a waiting room with increased security and protection from the elements.
The opening of the remodeled station, which was unveiled on the Upper East Side’s Community Board 8 website earlier this week, will put an end to the six-month hiatus of tram service from the Upper East Side to Roosevelt Island.
The $25 million "Tram Modernization Project" also includes an upgrade to the kind of cable the trams run on, enabling "less turbulence in high winds," according to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp.'s website.
"It will offer much more efficient service than in the past," the company's vice president of Planning and Production Rosena Abrahamson said about the upgrades, which allows the trams to run independently of one another.
"It will appeal to rush hour crowds in Manhattan, because it's almost as if two systems can run at once."
The improved design marks the first renovation that the tram system has undergone since its inception 34 years ago. The project was funded with $15 million from New York State and $10 million from the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation.
The Roosevelt Island Tram was the first aerial tramway system used for mass transit in the U.S. It was supposed to be a temporary solution to delayed subway service, and was never intended to be used for more than 17 years, according to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation website.
While the Tram is under construction, commuters can use the F train, the Q102 bus, or the RIOC Red Shuttle buses that offer a special fare of $1. The weekly schedule is available here.
