Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge and the East River

This is the view of the Ed Koch  Queensborough Bridge, also known as the 59th Street Bridge from Manhattan near Rockefeller University. The Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge is a cantilever bridge over the East River in New York City that was completed in 1909. It connects the neighborhood of Long Island City in the borough of Queens with Manhattan, passing over Roosevelt Island. It carries New York State Route 25 and once carried NY 24 and NY 25A as well.

The Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge is the westernmost of the four East River spans that carry a route number: NY 25 terminates at the west (Manhattan) side of the bridge. It is commonly called the "59th Street Bridge" because its Manhattan end is located between 59th Street and 60th Streets.

The Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge is flanked directly on its northern side by the freestanding Roosevelt Island Tramway.

In December 2010, the city announced that the bridge would be named in honor of former Mayor Ed Koch.

New Roosevelt Island Tram

The Roosevelt Island Tram is considered a wonder of the New York City transit. For just a swipe of your MetroCard (currently $2.25), you can take a three-minute ride above the East River between Manhattan and Roosevelt Island. After months of renovations and improvements, the new Roosevelt Island Tramway reopened last November. The new tram was fabricated by Leitner-Poma, the company that is responsible for many of the gondolas, ski lifts and trams you find on mountains around the world. Improvements include faster travel times, a sturdier cabin and the ability to run each car independently. There are several backup systems and fail-safes. The two trams run on four motors but can operate on only one. There are also four independent braking systems. Perhaps most importantly, the tram can run completely off the grid and keeps a hefty supply of gas to power its generators.

In 2006, 47 Roosevelt Island Tram passengers were stuck 250 feet in the air for several hours. In the movies like "Spiderman", the tram car has a tendency to be hijacked by supervillains. 

My First ROOSEVELT ISLAND TRAMWAY Ride

I took my first ROOSEVELT ISLAND TRAMWAY ride last week and took photos of the fantastic aerial views. The ride between Manhattan and Roosevelt Island was very short but it was a fun experience.

From ny.com

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 costs a mere $2.00 each way and students with tram permits ride free. Senior citizens and disabled pay $2.00 round trip.

Over 26 million passengers -- including commuters, tourists, students and seniors have used the tram. Each cabin accommodates a capacity of 125 people, makes approximately 115 trips per day, and about 100 on weekends. It glides at approximately 16 miles per hour and travels 3,100 feet. At its peak it climbs to 250 feet above the East River. Two cabins make the run every fifteen minutes from 6:00am to 2:30am (3:30am on weekends) and continuously during rush hours.

Official website at http://www.rioc.com/

General Information For tram information, call 832-4543, Ext. 1

Where to get it TramPlaza is located at 59th Street and Second Avenue in Manhattan. On the island a red minibus meets the tram and takes you throughout the island for 25 cents!

Where it takes you In just four minutes you can travel from busy midtown Manhattan to the quiet, safe and beautiful residential Roosevelt Island. It offers 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.

In the Movies The tram has been featured in many motion pictures such as Billy Crystal's "City Slickers" and Sylvester Stallone's "Nighthawks". It is currently featured in a popular attraction at Universal Studios Theme Park in Florida where King Kong "attacks" a tram filled with "passengers." It was also made an appearance in the first "Spiderman" movie.

History The Roosevelt Island tram began operating in 1976. There are 20 other trams operating in the U.S. and Canada but the Roosevelt Island tram is the only aerial commuter tram in the country. Originally built as a temporary means of transportation for island residents by New York State's Urban Development Corporation, it has become a permanent part of the life of the island and a treasure for New Yorkers and visitors throughout the world.

Construction Constructed by Vonroll Ltd of Bern, Switzerland for $5 million. Today the cost would be more than $20 million.

Who runs it The tram is managed by Interfac, a division of JWP on behalf of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation of the State of New York ("RIOC"). RIOC is a state public benefit corporation created in 1984 to run the island's services and complete the island's development.

ROOSEVELT ISLAND TRAMWAY

One of the little things that I've always wanted to do while living in this city is to take the Roosevelt Island Tramway. I captured this image on Second Avenue, not far from where I live.

From wikipedia:

The Roosevelt Island Tramway is an aerial tramway in New York City that spans the East River and connects Roosevelt Island to Manhattan. Prior to the completion of the Portland Aerial Tram in December 2006, it was the only commuter aerial tramway in North America. Over 26 million passengers have used the tram since it began operation in 1976. 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 4.5 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 Queensboro Bridge, providing views of the East Side of midtown Manhattan. Two cabins make the run at fifteen minute intervals from 6:00 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. (3:30 a.m. on weekends) and continuously during rush hours.

The tram is operated by Interfac on behalf of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation of the State of New York, a state public benefit corporation created in 1984 to run services on the island.

The tramway was featured prominently in a climactic battle in the 2002 film Spider-Man. The Spider-Man film was not the first appearance of the tramway; The House on the Edge of the Park (1980) shows the tram at 6:07 minutes into the film as how it appeared in the late 1970s. The Sylvester Stallone thriller Nighthawks (1981) depicted the tramway as a terrorist target where United Nations delegates were taken hostage. It was used in the opening credits of City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold (1994). In the 1994 film Léon (The Professional) it can be seen when Natalie Portman's character, Mathilda, is traveling on it alone. It also appeared in the 2005 horror movie Dark Water. In the comic Kingdom Come, the climactic battle of Volume 1 takes place on and around a similar system in downtown Metropolis.

ROOSEVELT ISLAND TRAMWAY

One of the things that I've always wanted to do is to take the 4-minute tramway ride from Manhattan to Roosevelt Island. And I still haven't, even though the Tram Plaza is not far from where I live. The Roosevelt Island tram began operating in 1976. It is the only aerial commuter tram in the US. Originally built as a temporary means of transportation for island residents by New York State's Urban Development Corporation, it has become a permanent part of the life of the island and a treasure for New Yorkers and tourists alike. The capacity of each cabin is 125. The tram makes approximately 115 trips per day, and about 100 on weekends. It glides at approximately 16 miles per hour and travels 3,100 feet. At its peak it climbs to 250 feet above the East River. Two cabins make the run every fifteen minutes from 6:00am to 2:30am (3:30am on weekends) and continuously during rush hours. 

Roosevelt Island offers great views of Manhattan and has 5 parks and 6 historic landmarks dating from 1796. The island is a beautiful residential island with a very limited traffic, and inhabited by a mixed income multi-ethnic community, including scientists working at the medical and research institutions on the Upper Eastside. The tram has been featured in numerous movies including City Slickers and Spiderman.