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Roosevelt Island Tramway Modernisation Set To Begin In June 09

MTR Admiralty

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MTR Admiralty

MTR Admiralty

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http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&langpair=it|en&u=http://www.funiforum.org/funiforum/portal.php

I found this from an Italian website, it was translated by Google, so the English is a bit funny:

Have been assigned to the group Poma-Leitner work on the reconstruction of the famous Cableways city of New York, the Roosevelt Island Tram.

After a long and controversial meeting of leaders of the company operator (Some collective concern of voters, from what we read in this document

http://nyc10044.com/wire/2905/wire2905.pdf http://nyc10044.com/wire/2905/wire2905.pdf

were such as anchor ropes fixed-l 'existing plant uses contrappesate-rope and the suspension system of the cabins) and a vote was decided to award the contract to the firm Franco-South Tyrol, we are talking about a difference of price of about $ 10 million; Doppelmayr had proposed a system Funifor.

 

From what we read, the cable car will have two independent lines, but with suspension with ropes gauge bearing very high and most attractive one central and upper back.

The departure of the work is scheduled for June 2009, with a duration of about 6 months.

 

Poma Gets Contract for Tram's Dual-Haul Upgrade

The dual-haul tramway is a go. After a two-week delay to seek more information, the Board of Directors of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC) voted on Thursday morning to accept a bid from the company Poma of France. But the vote was not unanimous. Dr. Kathie Grimm abstained after expressing concerns about receiving new information only the night before the meeting. Those materials included a letter from the competing bidder, Doppelmayr (who built and runs the Island's current tramway) questioning aspects of the bid Poma. Fay Christian also abstained after arriving late, having missed much of the discussion. Those voting for the contract were Jonathan Kalkin, David Kraut, Charlee Miller, Patrick Stewart, and the state's representative, who chaired the meeting in the absence of Deborah VanAmerongen, commissioner of the state Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR). Michael Shinozaki voted against accepting the bid after raising a series of questions that sought greater detail both on Poma's history and on the dual-haul system as Poma has proposed it. His ques- tions to Michael Deiparine of Parametrix, RIOC’s consulting firm for the project, drew a challenge from RIOC President Steve Shane, who saw them as questioning Parametrix’s integrity and professional qualifications. Shinozaki responded that he was seeking information on Parametrix involvement in other projects where news reports have been critical.

At Wednesday night's meeting of the Common Council of the Residents Association (RIRA), Shinozaki had explained one of his concerns in some depth. The current tramway uses a dynamic system of wheels and suspended weights to keep the system's track ropes at the right tension regardless of expansion in the summer heat or winter cold in contraction, and without regard to the minor earthquake shaking of the New York City area. The new system, as bid by Poma, is expected to use fixed without anchoring the dynamic elements. Shinozaki told the RIRA Common Council that he is concerned that fixed anchoring requires a much greater tension in order to keep the tram cabins' paths within an easement granted when the original system was built. That, in turn, requires a heavier cable. He said that raises questions about tower strength but, more importantly, about how the system will handle wind-loading, heating, cooling, and other variables.

 

On Thursday, Shane responded to this concern by saying that RIOC’s request for proposals (RFP) and Poma’s resulting bid specify a performance standard – that the system must track within the “grandfathered” easement, with the lower edge of a cabin never dipping below a specific distance from Second Avenue, for example. There is also a concern about a building being constructed adjacent to the path of the cabin using the north track, Shane said that factor, as well, is considered in the RFP and bid. Shinozaki told the RIRA Council that he is concerned that the owners of the new building will create political pressure to do away with the tram, since it might lower the value of apartments at the level where the cabin passes. He is concerned that if a glitch develops in the tram's construction or operation and the limits of the pathway easement are exceeded, that could become an excuse for shutting down the tram permanently. Parametrix consultants at Thursday morning's meeting made two key points in responding to Shinozaki: • Because the specification in RIOC's RFP is for performance, not listed in minute detail, changes can be made as necessary to meet the performance requirements. • The contract is a design-build contract, meaning that Poma will have responsibility both for creating the design on paper and for building it to the performance specification. Shane, responding to some of Shinozaki's points, said that the contract - the details of which are yet to be finalized by RIOC staff - will be a fixed-price contract, with the contractor responsible for completing the work on schedule, working within the pathway easement, and delivering performance that should match or exceed that of the current tramway. Shane added that he considers it inappropriate for the RIOC Board to "micromanage" the tramway upgrade or the process of getting it done. Shane's strongest point, however, has always been that a dualhaul system will allow a higher standard of availability of transportation tramway cabins because the two will operate independently.

With such a system, one cabin can almost always be in operation, even if the other cabin is idled for service or simply to save money on labor during slack hours.

 

This is from NYC10044:

Another issue in Thursday morning's meeting had to do with the wide-track nature of the proposed system. While two track ropes for each cabin (there are four in total) are close together in the present system, they will be farther apart in the proposed system. During windy conditions, this will result in less sway and, says Poma, a smoother ride. But Poma’s competition, Doppelmayr, said in a critical letter that winds over the East River could create a “lever arm” condition on the track ropes, resulting in greater wear and stress. Michael Deiparine of Parametrix said a horizontal hinge sway could be added to the specification if engineering studies indicate there is a concern about sideways stresses. RIOC Board member David Kraut agreed with Shane's position during Thursday morning's meeting, saying that non-expert RIOC Board members should trust RIOC's consultants, and should trust RIOC staff to protect the community with a solid contract. Shutdown for the upgrade is now anticipated for June 2009, with the service outage lasting from 5.5 months to 7 months, with financial penalties for exceeding promised limits on downtime. Previous issues of The WIRE have included architectural renderings and drawings of the proposed system. They are available on line at nyc10044.com (consult the archive).

 

Article on Main Street Wire: http://www.nyc10044.com/wire/2902/wire2902big.jpg

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metsfan

metsfan

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The tram runs on its own isolated power grid. In the big blackout it was the only thing running in the entire city aside from a grocery store on roosevelt island, which is powered by an underwater tidal turbine.

 

I would hope they simply update everything, vs building a whole entirely new and different system, especially since they say there are risks in making some sort of change....

 

- A

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MTR Admiralty

MTR Admiralty

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The tram runs on its own isolated power grid. In the big blackout it was the only thing running in the entire city aside from a grocery store on roosevelt island, which is powered by an underwater tidal turbine.

 

I would hope they simply update everything, vs building a whole entirely new and different system, especially since they say there are risks in making some sort of change....

 

- A

 

Yeah the tram really did it for the R. Islanders during that blackout. I am sure it is isolated from the power grid due to provisions for such incidents. The Islanders really have limited access to Manhattan. They have the subway, the tram, the bridge that goes to Queens.

In the event where the subway gets shut down, they still have the tram. So it is very valuable to the Islanders.

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metsfan

metsfan

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Well, there are multiple circumstances, here is a few:

Boat bumps bridge.

Hurricane.

Heavy Wave/Tide.

Road Work.

Bridge Problem.

-and-

Maintinence Check.

 

True. The bridge would be closed in a hurricane, however R.I. would likely have been evac'd by then. Likely everything in the city would shut down, the trams parked, all of the bridges & tunnels blocked off till flooding & wind risks subsided. There are large ships that carry stuff up & down the east river that would be the biggest (though remote) risk.

 

- A

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