NEW RI TRAM NEARLY READY

By [Alice Robb] The $25 million renovation of the Roosevelt Island tram is nearing completion. The revamped tram is expected to start running between Roosevelt Island and the Upper East Side Oct. 18, about a month later than originally planned. Barry Schneider, president of the East Sixties Neighborhood Association and member of Community Board 8, believes the new tram will be worth the wait. The new system, he says, will feature â??bigger, brighter, cleaner, faster cabs and â??more appealing, more attractive stations on both Roosevelt Island and Manhattan. The stations and cabs have been repainted, the waiting rooms have been made more comfortable and restrooms have been made more accessible to the disabled. The improvements are not just aesthetic; new technology will make the tram more energy-efficient, less turbulent and more secure. The â??Tram Modernization Project, which was funded by New York State and the Roosevelt Island Operation Corporation, marks the first renovation the tram has undergone since it opened in May 1976. It was originally meant to last only 17 years, according to the Roosevelt Island Operation Corporation"s website. Tram service has been suspended since March 1. Residents of the historic island in the East River have been relying on the F train, the Q102 bus and special shuttle buses.