If you like tourist attractions slightly off the beaten path, Roosevelt Island Tram that takes you from Manhattan to Roosevelt Island is a really neat transportation method. It was the world’s first commuter aerial tramway originally built in the ’70s to connect Roosevelt Island before the subway ran there.
The Roosevelt Island Tram provides the most modern aerial tramway in the world, running every 7-15 minutes from 59th Street and Second Avenue in Manhattan to Tramway Plaza on Roosevelt Island. The 4-minute ride, which offers spectacular views to its passengers, has been praised in the New York Times as “the most exciting view in New York City!” It offers many great views, 5 spacious parks, 6 historic landmarks dating from 1796, and the opportunity to visit a limited traffic, mixed-income multi-ethnic planned community.
Roosevelt Island Tram is a great way to get away from the crowds in Manhattan. If you’ve been in Manhattan for a couple of days you’ll feel a little overwhelmed by all the people and so you can take the tram and enjoy what it seems like to be peace and quiet.
Table of contents
History of Roosevelt Island Tram
Prior to the construction of the tramway, Roosevelt Island was accessed by a trolley line that crossed over the Queensboro Bridge. Trolleys traveling to and from Queens would stop in the middle of the bridge to meet an elevator that would then take passengers down to the island. Trolley service to the island ended in on April 7, 1957, and this was the longest-running trolley line in the city—kept in operation because it was the only way to get to the island. A bus line eventually replaced the trolley, but the trip was roundabout and inconvenient.
In the early 1970s, under the direction of the urban planner and visionary Edward J. Logue, the NYS Urban Development Corporation (UDC) created a model for a high-density, a mixed-income urban community for the development of Roosevelt Island, necessitating a more efficient mode of transportation.
In 1971, the Urban Development Corporation retained Lev Zetlin Associates to select and design a transit connection to Roosevelt Island. James A O’Kon PE led the LZA team in carrying out a feasibility study and design. Three alternate modes were studied: a ferry, an elevator from the bridge, and the aerial tramway. The tramway was selected and the system was designed for bidding. Von Roll was selected to supply and erect the tram and its equipment. With the elevator to Roosevelt Island closed, the footpath on the bridge was shuttered in 1974, with the expectation that the tramway would open soon. The towers for the tram system were erected by July 1975, with completion projected for December of that year.
The tram system was opened in July 1976 as a temporary solution for the island’s commuting needs. As the subway project fell further behind schedule, the “tram” became more popular and was converted into a permanent facility, and the tram held a monopoly for service between Roosevelt Island and the rest of Manhattan until the subway connection to the island was finally completed in October 1989.
Modernization and upgrade
Things remained relatively breezy for the tramway until April 18, 2006 when the four-minute journey to and from Roosevelt Island was disrupted by a series of power failures leaving 70 passengers suspended hundreds of feet over the East River. At 11PM—six hours after the tramway had stopped moving—rescuers started bringing passengers back to the ground by way of large, orange, wired rescue-gondolas capable of carrying 15 people per trip. Each trip took about 20 minuets, and the gondolas transported supplies to the remaining passengers including blankets, baby formula and food.
This was the second time in eight months that power outages had occurred on the tramway, the first taking place in September of that year when 80 passengers were trapped for approximately 90 minutes. Following the April 18th incident, the tramway was shut down for a period of six months while its backup electrical system was refurbished.
Between 2007 and 2010, the tramway operator, Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC), invested $25 million to upgrade to the original structure. Their goal was to replace the existing system with a modernized tramway designed to operate in a safer and more elegant fashion. The project was formally referred to as the “Roosevelt Island Tram Modernization Project“. In November of 2008, the RIOC Board of Directors awarded the design-build contract to Poma, a French company that manufactures cable-driven lift systems mostly used in ski areas in Europe and Asia.
Today’s tramway boasts bigger windows, faster travel times, sturdier cabins, and the ability to run both cars independently increasing rush-hour service. Each cabin has a capacity of up to 125 people and makes approximately 115 trips per day. The tram moves at about 16 mph (26 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.
Best time to go
Your experience on the Roosevelt Island Tram is going to vary depending on when you decide to hop on. If you’re planning to go simply to visit the island or enjoy the view, there are both good and bad times to make your trip. With that said, let’s take a look at the hours of operation.
Hours of Operation
- Sunday through Thursday: 6 AM – 2 AM
- Friday and Saturday: 6 AM – 3:30 AM
- Morning Rush Hours (Monday through Friday): 7 AM – 10 AM
- Evening Rush Hours (Monday through Friday): 3 PM – 8 PM
- Holidays: Tram runs on a regular schedule, except for major holidays (New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day), during which the Tram runs on a rush hour schedule.
Fare Information
- Only MTA MetroCards are accepted.
- We follow to same fare structure as the MTA.
- Up to three children 44-inches tall and under ride for free on the Tram when accompanied by a fare-paying adult.
- Children more than 44 inches tall require full fare.
- While MetroCards are available for purchase at the Tram Station, there are no MTA booths at the station, vending machines are the only option available.
Strollers and Shopping Carts
- Must be folded upon request of bus operator.
Dogs and Other Animals
- No person may bring any animal on or into the tram unless enclosed in a container and carried in a manner which would not annoy other passengers.
- This does not apply to working dogs for law enforcement agencies, to service animals, or to animals which are being trained as service animals and are accompanying persons with disabilities, or to animals which are being trained as service animals by a professional trainer. All service animals and animals being trained as service animals must be harnessed or leashed.
Here’s what it’s like to ride the Roosevelt Island tram:
