By Amy Zimmer
DNAinfo News Editor
MANHATTAN — The Roosevelt Island tram will begin shuttling passengers across the East River Tuesday morning, in its first trip since it was taken out of commission in March, officials from the Roosevelt Island Operating Commission said.
RIOC’s decision to revamp the tram followed a 2006 power outage that left 69 people trapped inside a gondola, suspended over the river for hours before they were rescued.
The $25 million overhaul outfitted the new gondolas with bigger windows and better views for the approximately 2 million people who take the 3-minute ride each year.
Organizers hope the new tram will attract more tourists, and said the new design also allows the tram cars to run on separate tracks so that one can continue to function if the other should break down, said Rosina Abramson, RIOC vice president of planning and inter-governmental affairs.
"This is a pretty unique infrastructure project," she said, adding that the three-month delay was minor considering the scope of the project. "There’s only one of these in New York, and it’s the premiere one in the world."
Frank Farance, of the Roosevelt Island Residents Association, said the tram's stoppage hurt residents, leaving them at the mercy of the "unpredictable" bus service or the overcrowded F train, the only subway that serves Roosevelt Island.
"It would have been a quicker commute if you lived in Forest Hills," he said.
