Roosevelt Island tram has become a tourist attraction, much to the chagrin of local residents

[@maisonmallninja]

"starry eyed tourist interrupts rich new yorker attempting to commute to play tennis"

[@AlejandroFlores-vi8tl]

I see this as win

[@PaPaRado]

Lol, the dude in the Burberry scarf complaining about “the others” is classic

[@jamesbomd3503]

He's a limey what's he doing in New York He should be the first to be sent home by Donald Trump Time to pass on his details to ice

[@mirzaahmed6589]

It was a tourist attraction since the day it opened.

[@barracudalake1607]

What did they except when they build something accessible by public with both a nice view and a nice experience and something that is uncommon in nyc? Definitely not something for tourists amirite

[@baatar]

It was built so people could use something before there was a train stop

[@xr6lad]

100%. For decades. Got to love a millennial that thinks they are telling something to everyone, that no one has heard before Or just discovered it.

[@V21bh]

The F train is 4 blocks away

[@shucheng4748]

people just want something to complain about F train literally the fastest way

[@nickmiller6078]

@@shucheng4748 Exactly, I didn't get the point "F train is also an option, but tramway is the most convenient one". The price of the ride is the same, pick-up and drop-off locations are pretty much the same, and the subway option is faster.....

[@dakaufman12]

And your point is? Presumably you're saying to RI residents, "tough toenails, go take the subway instead." Late at night, the tram tends to run more often than the F train. The tram is nicer than the F train. For some of us, the tram is easier to access from work than the F train. People who live on RI deserve to be able to access one of the modes of transit that makes RI living feasible.

[@V21bh]

@@dakaufman12 I agree with you, but there isn’t a high influx of use by tourist at night though. By 7:30 PM it’s RI locals/frequenters using the tram.

[@DBSGEEK7]

Yes the F is 2 mins away from the tram terminal on roosevelt island however the tram terminal is closer to 59th St and Lexington to the 4/5/6/N/R/W (manhattan side) and not the F which farther uptown so it helps for those who are 1) seeing F train issues and 2) getting a better way to their isolated island home

[@pizzajona]

Here’s my idea: make a relatively cheap transit pass for the tram and then raise single ticket prices. This way, tourists are priced more and use it less (plus tram operator makes more money) while residents can still use it affordably. If residents have friends who visit them, they can let them know to buy the pass option which pays out after several rides.

[@SL-lz9jr]

It should be like the museums. Low price for residents and higher price for tourists. I used to be a part time nanny there and it would be unfair to charge me the higher single price ticket just to commute to work, if I didn’t work full time where a pass might make sense.

[@kotor610]

Also have two queues one for residents (with said card) and others for tourists. That's how the water buses in Venice work.

[@pizzajona]

@@kotor610 the operator claims they're not allowed to do that

[@pizzajona]

@@SL-lz9jr the operator claims they're not allowed to do that

[@drixxonk]

these are great ideas. i'd ponder over a single use pass for residents considering not everyone can afford even an affordable monthly pass

[@RailBuffRob]

This is like living next to the railroad tracks and complaining that trains are loud. If you don't want to live in a city that has for 2 centuries been the ultimate tourist attraction of the USA, then move. Just a reminder, there's an entire country just outside NY city limits.

[@robert4123]

Exactly!

[@paulstaley4472]

I was on the residents side until I heard them say that there’s a bridge and a subway stop on the island. If the tram was the ONLY option for residents, justifiable rage. It’s one of 3 options? Sounds like the residents - like the tourists - just want the nice view. Take the subway if you don’t want to wait. That said, there can’t be that many residents on the island. I don’t think the tourists would mind if there was an express boarding lane for residents.

[@RainyDaySocialClub]

How is that slow tram faster than jumping on a train? You use the same card, just go underground and let the city entertain the hayseed.The Staten Island ferry is free and it floats lopsided because everyone stands on the side of the statue.

[@fernandomeza1071]

LOL

[@smrk2452]

Ikr it’s so annoying

[@dng2000]

"It floats lopsided" LMAO

[@voidvector]

It is on 2nd ave. Subway is on Lex. Not a far walk, but closer if you want to access the greenway.

[@jackgrimaldi8685]

😂😂😂

[@brooklynbri7572]

Poor babies can't take the subway there's even escalators in that station

[@joermnyc]

And elevators.

[@bigmangmc]

It's funny how all of a sudden. The tourists riding the tram became a thing. I grew up on Roosevelt island, I'll be 60 years old in January. I moved there in 1976 with my mother when I was 11 years old. And it was a problem then. Now people are complaining about it? I can't believe it. It's been like that since I was 11 years old and I'll be 60 January 21st 2025.

[@TheLanard]

When it gets stuck up there for hours and hours the tourist wont ride anymore

[@TheLanard]

Thank the internet for making it known across the world.

[@iSoleyy]

Awe your birthday is 2 days before (January 23)mine 🥹. Happy early birthday!

[@kotor610]

I'm guessing some tiktok video went viral a couple months ago with this "hack". this is just the fallout, people are trying to get a shot for the gram

[@NickyD]

people love to cry

[@tonylarussa4046]

It has always been a tourist attraction for years! They are creating a problem where there isn't one!

[@cookingwithalhina6344]

Only now cause everything is posted online lol

[@baatar]

You can make anything a tourist attraction

[@xr6lad]

100% correct. For decades. Got to love a millennial reporter that thinks they are telling everyone something new and never before seen.

[@yass123]

New Yorkers take the train or bus. Let the tourists enjoy their stay here. They spend money in NYC.

[@baatar]

I don’t want to take a bus or train full of smelly hobos and rats

[@iamcase1245]

I have friends on Roosevelt and honestly it's been a tourist attraction for decades. The issue is these days is the obnoxious behavior and nonexistent cell phone etiquette. These idiots from Europe and Asia come here and dont ask permission to take video of you, photograph you, film over your shoulder and all the rest of it. It's sickening.

[@SL-lz9jr]

The TikTok era ruined it. Even as a city resident, I like riding the tram occasionally instead of the F train. I even take friends with me when they’re visiting. My friends don’t do social media. I used to nanny for a family on the island. Loved how peaceful and quiet and relatively safe it was over there. I have never seen such a long line. Ever! It’s always been crowded the 7 years I lived in the city but never such crazy lines. I hope the ferries don’t become a TikTok tourist trap. I remember a time when there were zero influencers taking photos of the DUMBO bridge either. Now that street is always mobbed with people. Ughhhhh. Also it’s not just idiots from abroad. Lol.

[@sparticuzj19]

The vast majority of tourists are Americans but you despise foreigners so that’s who you’ll blame.

[@Daniel.Rodrigo-05Law]

Guess what the good First Amendment doesn't require anyone to do so. It may be etiquette your getting at but reality is you have no expectation of privacy in a public place including your own car we can film you in public in your car from the outside. Plus dude you live in NYC move or your friends. It the most populous area in the US especially in for the size. I'm mean its good business to the island.

[@vickycameron632]

​@@Daniel.Rodrigo-05LawYour comment here is anti NYC community and the question is why aren't we the most important to each other?? You are a brain washed victim of capitalism!

[@shawnhall9792]

I lived across from Roosevelt island for years and it wasn't this popular at all I used to take the tram with friends it became extremely popular now because of social media

[@azul8811]

I remember when the island was called Welfare Island. That’s before they build condos and people with money lived there.

[@TheLanard]

I remember. I drove a friend of a neighbor there once and wondered how she could afford to live there. Then I found out she was on welfare and lived there for “free”. Well it was called “Roosevelt Island” at that time in the 80’s.

[@azul8811]

@ During much of the 19th and 20th centuries, Blackwell Island was used by hospitals and prisons, with very limited access. It was renamed Welfare Island in 1921. By 1960, half of Welfare Island was abandoned,[165] and the Goldwater and Bird S. Coler hospitals were the only remaining institutions there.[73][166] The city government had been trying since 1957, without success, to obtain $1 million to demolish the abandoned buildings.[165] The New York City Fire Department (FDNY) opened a training school in 1962,[167][168] using 90 abandoned buildings for training purposes.[3] One reporter in 1967 called Welfare Island a "ghost town, vacant lot, woodland and mausoleum for unhappy memories".[73] Following several proposals to redevelop Welfare Island in the 1960s, the NY State Urban Development Corporation leased the island, renamed it after former U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1973, and redeveloped it as a series of residential neighborhoods. The first phase of Northtown, the island's first community, was completed in 1974, followed by the second phase (Northtown II) in 1989. Southtown was developed in the early 21st century, along with the Cornell Tech higher-education campus. (Excepted from Wikipedia)

[@azul8811]

@ Nonsense. No one lived on Roosevelt Island for free.

[@dextermcgrubbin]

Imagine living in NYC and complaining there's too many people

[@dng2000]

Now what's up with those local residents? Is it still 1988 or before? I mean, aren't subway stations located within reasonable walkable distance on both ends? Riding on the tram is a fun attraction in its own right but for commuters who are in a rush, I'd say taking the subway is a better idea. That tram, at least nowadays, is meant for pleasure or leisure in a world-famous city like New York, just like Cable Cars in San Francisco, especially the Powell Street lines where they're mostly crowded with tourists instead of local commuters and residents.

[@baatar]

Take the subway and risk being attacked by some wild hobo?

[@IanPyle]

Oh my god so I lived here for a year and can confirm this. The subway was shut down for 6 months and it was pure torture being cramped by a bunch of people there just for the ride with two giant trader joes bags. Safe to say, I moved.

[@tdadp]

The trims always been crowded. It just more crowded now than it was 10 years ago.

[@MrLegendra]

Imagine choosing to live in the #1 most visited city in the world and then complaining that there are tourists here

[@MikeCee7]

I think Paris, London, Orlando, Vegas, & Amsterdam have more tourist than NYC.

[@MrLegendra]

@@MikeCee7 True for Paris and London but not for Amsterdam/Vegas or Orlando

[@thomasferris-l4j]

Send them to the Staten Island ferry for a good ride!😂

[@Crosbie85]

Lol

[@kenfern2259]

they do just for the statue of liberty

[@JohnnyT002]

Back when it first opened, We used the Tram to go to visit a friend in the hospital on the island. It was never really crowded back then. It was just a better way to get to the island.

[@whiskeykilo2h429]

Fun fact: residents of Roosevelt Island still don’t know there’s a subway station for the F train right below them!

[@baatar]

No one wants to be attacked by smelly hobos and rats on the subway

[@whiskeykilo2h429]

@ Roosevelt Island station is still relatively clean safe station. Try again.

[@baatar]

@@whiskeykilo2h429 you’re forgetting that the actual train cars are populated by rats, hobos, criminals, delinquents, etc

[@bigmangmc]

And in 2006, the day the tramway stopped in mid-air. I was supposed to get on that tram way but it was too crowded and I missed it. I would have been stuck on that same tram way back then. Because I was visiting one of my best friends who lives on the island and I had missed the tram. I was supposed to be on that tram that got stuck way back in April 2006. I had to take the bus from the Manhattan side all the way to queensboro Plaza and then take the bus to roosevelt island

[@jeffreys-vu6gd]

2006, wow! I can't believe it was that long ago.

[@enarush1]

F train to the Island was impossible back then?

[@mariusfacktor3597]

You're obviously not allowed to discriminate on public transit based on where somebody lives. Just take the F train or bike across the Queensboro.

[@FCm-tq2ho]

Lived in New York City for 30 years and the F train is what I take to go to Roosevelt Island Yes I've taken the tram but I always felt it was for tourists, always!! Nobody should be surprised or shocked by this...

[@iseemelanie]

I first learned of the tram from a 2018 episode of Law & Order SVU. I introduced it to my New Yorker cousins that summer. I admit I take the trolley virtually every time I’ve visited NYC since then. I’d never seen lines that crazy before.

[@tdadp]

I remember that night my father just missed that tram and thank God.

[@willyjoerockhead]

I rode that back in 1995. I had a great time...build more of them already.

[@assonance9057]

Ppl can also just take subway 🤷‍♀️plus it’s always been a tourist attraction for as long as I’ve been alive lmfao

[@scraperinfo]

IMO Either have special trips for island residents only, or raise the price for non-residents (in the form of special discounts for residents only) Great way to raise revenue for the city.

[@cbwavy]

Tourists have been riding the tram since day 1. I bet the tram has been around for much longer than whoever is complaining about tourists.

[@ro.3645]

NEW?!!? bruh this BEENNN an issue. and you get crushed in the middle if you aren’t a tourist. one thing i absolutely don’t miss about nyc

[@americangiant1003]

Must be a slow news day for WCBS-TV aka “CBS News New York” or w/e that NYC Flagship of the Eye Network calls themselves these days. 😮

[@sct4040]

As a young dating couple in the 1980s, we did that ride just for fun. Never during rush hours though.

[@TheNegativeDude]

There is an easy solution. We have that at Passport control at every airport. Citizens get an express line while tourists have to wait.

[@bartenderzzz]

For some reason I always thought it was like this for the longest.

[@felixandsimon]

The law doesn't say that you can't discriminate against groups of people, it says you can't "unreasonably discriminate" which is a matter of interpretation, but I suspect RIOC is afraid of lawsuits.

[@muscleman125]

This is how i feel about Grand Central. I use Grand Central to get back and forth from New Haven all the time. If im trying to get home after working in manhattan all day long, the last thing i wanna see is tourists blocking the way when im trying not to miss my train home.

[@deadchannel9204]

"Roosevelt Island tram has become a tourist attraction" .....And? ..when has it not?

[@anthonydpearson]

I mean, there's literally a subway station you can use. But when hasn't it been a tourist attraction? It was in a Spiderman movie for gods sake lol, it's always been a tourist thing.

[@wheelsee]

This is the most NYC resident problem. What’s next people on Staten Island complaining about the people riding the ferry.

[@dakaufman12]

The same news piece can describe what's happened to the East River ferry system. Overwhelmed by tourists who have no clue where they're going, causing delays at boarding and exiting and even at times crowding out commuters who rely on the ferry to get from home to work and back.

[@chrisregister8021]

Charge anybody that isn't a local an exorbitant amount to ride it...

[@Chrnan6710]

But the problem is that it may be prohibited by law to do so, as the cable car "qualifies as a common carrier". That interpretation of the law may be incorrect, though.

[@NickyD]

not legal its a legal transportion usage

[@NickyD]

@@Chrnan6710 its literally partly owned by the mta lol

[@baatar]

@@NickyDit’s not owned by the MTA

[@risksrewardsrelics51]

Just ride the subway. Way less crowded.

[@baatar]

Might be the last time you ever take it

[@theshowersinger6681]

Why not just create a priority line for residents and let it board first?

[@Bobbysworld22]

Why aren’t the locals taking the subway the tram is and always has been a tourist trap

[@12KevinPower]

Maybe the Corporation should expand its capacity on each vehicle or operate more trams or make a new tramway or RAISE FARES. lol

[@daviiiid.r]

if only there was a high capacity train line that provided far more useful destinations a less than 5 min walk away, that would make things so much easier

[@MFHussain7924]

Just take the F train...same thing underground!

[@baatar]

No one wants to risk death just to get home

[@bostongeis5123]

This is why they shouldnt have closed Kongfrontation

[@WrongedSports]

You can take the subway and see the same things without waiting in a hour long line.

[@dakaufman12]

You cannot see anything from the subway as it is (checking notes) underground.

[@WrongedSports]

@dakaufman12 subway goes above ground when it leaves manahattan in a few areas. So check your notes again, just rode the subway this weekend from Manhattan to Queens and shockingly it went above the ground and the street!

[@trvrsln]

“Oh no! People are using a tourist attraction in one of the busiest cities in the world!”

[@caseclosed9342]

The locals were willing to defend it from the Green Goblin, after all…

[@jjinnyc75]

lol now they know what Staten Island Ferry riders have been dealing with for years

[@TheMW2informer]

If I grew up riding that thing playing GTA4 you’d better bet I’m riding it when I visit NYC. 😂

[@johngonzalez8305]

It's been a tourist attraction for a long time

[@tipprich]

When I take the tram for work, I sometimes have to wait for two cars before I can get in. It's made me late for work more than once.

[@shucheng4748]

at this point just take the train no sense in waiting that long especially being stuck with tourist

[@Bombardier2199]

Can you not get on the F Train?

[@americangiant1003]

Agreed. Unless you have a job near the tram East Midtown stop, just use the “F” train most of the time.

[@Zozzo984]

Leave earlier genius

[@robthecook1905]

The F train: Am I joke to you?

[@jenniferpetti859]

When I lived in NYC in the 80s. We always thought Roosevelt Island was just an odd part of the city. 😂😂

[@jester1cp]

Oh Please this has been a tourist attraction for ages! I would rather take the train, if I needed anything on the island. It must be a slow news day

[@cjninebot13]

Bring back the light rail , that can hold more cars and people

[@damnimloomin]

I always tell tourists to go take a ride on it 🤣

[@danielb6766]

If there only was a magical way to build another one 😅

[@GustavSvard]

"Has become"? Silly take. I know I rode it as a tourist 20 years ago.

[@nejaziB]

There trying to raise the price

[@Cityboyrich]

A lot people from New York haven’t been there like me so I would be riding it soon myself 😂😂

[@metallidome]

...Staten Island Ferry is the other "cheap" tourist attraction.

[@damnimloomin]

If people are so upset they can just walk the short distance to the F lol

[@dialm4masala718]

Take the tram to the Subway Inn, it’s closing Dec 28, 2024

[@dennyzrh]

Oh, there is a simple Solution. Make the Tramway privat for Residents only. But then you guys won‘t get a dime from the TA and have to come up with the operation cost on your own. Good luck with that… I‘ve an old travel guide from my first NY-Trip in 93. Back then they already praise the scenic ride on the Tramway. They also wrote, that tourists shouldn‘t ride the Tramway at Peak times. But I fully understand the frustration with some modern tourist, who are wannabe Influencer with her Smartphone, SelfieSticks and no RESPECT for other People.

[@jaquan123ism]

yea if i had to wait in line to go home i would be mad too especially with these colder and colder days

[@jamesbomd3503]

It's your fault New York You should never have had Sky tram passing over New York in the movie Blazing saddles

[@imrytebeehyneu]

You need to update the trams line and the car design. That boxy design is getting old...

[@smrk2452]

I would never live in Roosevelt island for this reason

[@willbygosh4887]

Poor Nimbys!

[@TysonIke]

Here me out, make like a $300 year pass and than make a round trip $15

[@brysonkloesel8166]

Run more service!

[@mattguy2998]

Ok..first off how is this tram faster than the f train?? Aint no way in hell. The problem wit this whole thing is the high and mighty people that live on the island dont wanna hop they scary a**es onto the subway. Thats the real problem and they know it.

[@anthonydpearson]

1:33 Classic NIMBYism. "I think they're wrong in the way they're interpreting the law". Just take the subway instead fool.

[@philnaegely]

Commuters should just be happy the tourists use it too or it could go away

[@xr6lad]

Ummm. It’s been a tourist attraction for decades. Got to love a poor millennial reporter that thinks nothing happens before they were born.

[@lucassupports3234]

That tram isn't bad that's tourists making the ride bad. 😒

[@Aceve14]

Just extend the Tramway into Queens.

[@foobar83]

cover the windows no more photos

[@chunhchan]

I blame spiderman

[@Bloor25]

Ride the subway!

[@joechen353]

It's been happening since 1985. My goodness 🤦‍♂️😂

[@stanford-nf4jk]

Whiny “Noo Yawkahz”! 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@jamesh405]

Ok so take the subway lol

[@MikeCee7]

Maybe they should bring King Kong 🦍 back, to keep people off of the tram.

[@lewisthierman3313]

Don't worry.I won't go there and make it worse

[@jackchen7003]

Its gotten is so bad over the years...

[@TheMrPeteChannel]

Only cranky old people complaining.

[@BaldWomanEnjoyer]

Tourists are ruining the world

[@Mike211-c6f]

I never been in that thingy i blame it on spidey man

[@garyjsimm]

Stop complaining and being typical Karens and Kevins. Y'all are so spoiled and entitled. So damn entitled

[@bizzz.R]

Blame Tiktok

[@NickyD]

ha ha get over it lets be real without toursim that thing wouldnt still be in operation

[@spb7883]

TikTok ruins everything.

[@ChillWill-q5x]

All the problems in NYC and this is what they want to cry about. LOL

[@tupacamirpatel]

My wife and I took a few pics and then went across. Got some video and didn't even touch ground on the island side😅😮😂