Manhattan Tram Station Elevators: Status Update

Current Conditions

Next Steps

Replacement Process

Shuttle Service

Last year, it became clear to many that the elevators at the Manhattan Tram Station
were becoming increasingly unreliable. The current service outage has posed a serious
inconvenience to those who rely heavily on the Tram to travel to and from Manhattan
and who are prevented, for one reason or another, from using the stairs at the station.
This issue is further complicated by the MTA elevator outage at 63rd Street/Lexington
Avenue, which has been out of service since July 2014 (http://goo.gl/dtQGNa).
Early on in the replacement process, RIOC issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a
contractor to design and build two new ADA accessible elevators. Due to a lack of
qualified vendors with an interest in a project of smaller scope compared to larger, citywide construction projects, the design and construction phases of the project must be
performed by separate vendors. While this necessity has caused a delay, the New York
State procurement process mandates that we issue an RFP for both phases of this
project to ensure that vendors are evaluated and selected fairly, using a comprehensive
set of criteria.

Current Conditions
The main station elevator is subject to frequent outages due to issues with its hydraulic
system; in particular, with water leaking into the elevators housing, which affects the
moving parts that raise and lower the elevator cabins. Once water has seeped into the
machinery, it must be pumped out before any work can be performed. Our elevator
maintenance and service contractors, the KONE Corporation, will be on site tomorrow,
Friday February 27th, to perform repair work. Once the work is completed, barring any
underlying issues, we expect the elevators to return to service before the end of next
week.
The inconvenience caused by the main elevator outage is further aggravated by the red
accessible lift being out of service as well. The lift and the elevator are both older
models, having been installed when the station was first constructed. As such,
replacement parts are carried only by a limited number of contractors. They can be
difficult to find, and generally are not available on short notice. The necessary parts to
repair the lift have been ordered and we are currently waiting for them to arrive. Once
the parts are delivered, contractors will be able to repair the lift to working order.
Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation of the State of New York
212-832-4540
February 26,2015

591 Main Street, Roosevelt Island NY 10044

RIOC.NY.gov

Replacement Process
As the elevators are due for an overhaul, the most efficient way to deal with these issues
is through a total replacement of the current system. Two new elevators are planned to
replace the current elevator as well as the red accessible lift, improving the stations
accessibility. After rating and ranking responses to an RFP to design two larger ADAaccessible elevators, RIOC has selected Wank, Adams, Slaven Associates LLP (WASA) as
the most qualified contractor. A kickoff meeting with the contractor and our Engineering
department was held in early February; the final design for both new elevators is
scheduled to be completed in 90 days.

Next Steps
Once WASAs design is approved, RIOC will seek a qualified contractor to build the
elevators to the plans specifications. Once responses to an RFP are received and a
contractor is selected, the project will enter the construction phase. Contractors will
work on one elevator at a time in order to allow elevator service to continue throughout
the construction process.

Shuttle Service
During the elevator outage, a special shuttle bus service runs between the Roosevelt
Island Tram Station and the Manhattan Tram Station, from 7 AM until 8 PM, on
weekdays only. The bus departs hourly from the northwest corner of the Tram Station
Plaza, next to Visitor's Kiosk, from 7:00 AM until 8:00 PM. Additional stops are located at
546 Main St. (opposite Good Shepherd Plaza) and 580 Main Street (opposite P.S/I.S.
217).
On its return trip to Roosevelt Island, the shuttle bus departs hourly from the southwest
corner of 58th Street and 2nd Avenue from 7:30 AM until 8:30 PM. Additional stops are
located at 645 Main St. (P.S./I.S. 217), 579 Main St. (M&D Deli), 543 Main St. (Good
Shepherd Plaza), 425 Main St. (Riverwalk Bar & Grill), and the Roosevelt Island Tram
Plaza.
Temporary weekday Shuttle Service is planned to continue until either the elevator or
accessible lift return to service. To see past advisories issued regarding this service or to
sign up for electronic alerts, please visit http://rioc.ny.gov/advisorybody.htm.
The replacement of the Tram elevator and lift is a top priority for RIOC. We understand
the inconvenience an outage poses to those who rely on the elevators for transit, and
we are pushing to expedite the process as far as possible. We will continue to make any
repairs necessary to the current system while the new systems design and build period
continues. Thank you for your patience as we work to bring new, more reliable elevators
to the Manhattan station.

Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation of the State of New York

212-832-4540
February 26,2015

591 Main Street, Roosevelt Island NY 10044

RIOC.NY.gov