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Opened in May 1976.
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Built by the Swiss company Von Roll with
American designers Prentice & Chan, Ohlhausen.
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Operated by the Swiss company Doppelmayr, with
domestic supervisory personnel and on-site
management, under a series of multi year
contracts with RIOC. A temporary contract
extension has been in place until Tram service
is suspended.
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Travels from the Manhattan station at 2nd Avenue between
59th and 60th Streets to the station on
Roosevelt Island.
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Travels a distance of 3,100 feet at a speed of
16 miles per hour in 4.5 minutes.
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Rises to a maximum height of 250 ft.
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Carries a maximum of 125 passengers plus an
attendant per cabin. It annually transports more
than two million New Yorkers.
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Runs every 15 minutes during off peak hours
(including weekends); during weekday rush hours
(7:00 AM to 10:00 AM and 3 PM to 8 PM), it
operates every 7.5 minutes or 8 times an hour.
Because of the dual haul system being introduced
as a result of the modernization project, schedules will be more responsive to actual
demand.
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Is completely handicap accessible.
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Accepts the MTA MetroCard as a valid fare,
allowing transfers to NYCTA subways and buses.
Revenues are shared with the MTA.
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Pays NYC a Franchise fee, totaling .05% of gross
receipts.
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Is certified by New York State Department of
Labor for operational safety and compliance with
NY State code regulations.
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Operates in all weather conditions except for
lightning and winds over 40 miles per hour.
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Is subject to the NYC Departments of Buildings,
Transportation, Parks and the Office of
Emergency Management health and safety
requirements and construction site review
jurisdictions. Federal Aviation Administration
and the U.S. Coast Guard have been assured that
flight and navigational channels will be
maintained during construction.