ROOSEVELT ISLAND TRAM DELAY

By [Allen Houston] The re-opening of the Roosevelt Island Tram, which was supposed to take place Oct. 15, has been postponed because of city and state reviews and weather delays, according to the Roosevelt Island Operating Cooperation. Officials with the RIOC hope that the $25 million renovation will be finished in time for Thanksgiving, but aren"t setting another firm completion date. â??This is a major piece of infrastructure, said Rosina Abramson, vice president of intergovernmental affairs and planning at RIOC. â??There are lots of reviews that have to be done before it"s certified operational and we don"t want to rush the agencies. Those include an Emergency Response review by the city and a Labor review that has to be done by the state. As part of the renovation, station and cabs have been repainted, waiting rooms have been made more comfortable and restrooms have been made more accessible to the disabled. New technology will also make the tram more energy-efficient, less turbulent and more secure. The first cabin was expected to be raised at the end of September, but bad weather has forced that date to be pushed back. The tram carries more than 2 million passengers a year and 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.