… the Roosevelt Island Tram is
currently on
Google Maps in a test phase.…… The initiative to get the Roosevelt Island Tram on Google
Maps was spearheaded by
Alex Bores, a former
Roosevelt Island resident with a Masters in Computer Science and currently
Democratic Party 76 Assembly District Leader
(which includes Roosevelt Island).Mr Bores reports:
The Tram and Red Busses Launch on Google Maps
The Roosevelt Island Tram and Red Busses (including Octagon Express) are now
in testing on Google Maps. Residents and visitors can look up transit
directions the same way they look up the subway.
Google integrates around 120,000 different transit systems worldwide. This
includes many different transportation sources around Roosevelt Island,
including the subway, the Hornblower ferries, and Citi Bikes, but until now,
did not include the tram or busses.I noticed the tram was not on Google Maps when a friend tried to visit me.
When he saw that Google’s directions did not suggest the Tram, he assumed it
wasn’t running. I teamed up with
Assembly Member Rebeca Seawright
and the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) to accurately represent the schedule, and then coded it into the
technical format that Google and other map providers use to show schedules…… The schedule is still in testing, so the feed may change or be temporarily
unavailable in the future. RIOC will provide updates to the schedule over
time. The schedule is static, meaning it shows the planned schedule instead of
tracking the real-time location of any busses or tram cabins. The goal is to
launch it permanently by the end of February, as well as to have it appear on
Bing Maps and Apple Maps (where currently the tram appears but not the
busses)….
This morning Roosevelt Island Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright and City Council Member Julie Menin accompanied Mr Boras on a crowded Roosevelt Island Tram
to announce:
The Roosevelt Island Tram and the Red Bus are now on Google, Apple, and Bing Maps thanks to the ingenuity and creativity of District Leader @AlexBores.
This morning we took a celebratory ride. Next step is getting the Visitor Center on the maps and OMNY implemented on the tram! pic.twitter.com/ZKs9nWSTuQ
— Carolyn B. Maloney (@RepMaloney) March 26, 2022
I spoke with Mr Bores and our elected representatives as they got off the Tram on the Roosevelt Island side about their celebratory ride.
Ms Menin added that the MTA is expected to install the OMNY system by the end of this year.
Also,
all three expressed support for finding a way to give Roosevelt Island
residents and workers cabin boarding preference during times when the Tram is
overcrowded.
Taking the inaugural tram ride with @AlexBores, @RepMaloney, @NYCJulieMenin announcing its placement on @googlemaps! Thank you Alex for working with RIOC and our offices to get this done! pic.twitter.com/mi0fKMhjSL
— Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright (@SeawrightForNY) March 26, 2022
Celebrating the addition of the Roosevelt Island Tram 🚡 to Google Maps with @CarolynBMaloney @SeawrightForNY @JulieMenin!
As District Leader, I fought to get this last form of mass transit in New York City integrated with online maps.
The tram connects RI to District 73! pic.twitter.com/9t1EYRCnav
— Alex Bores (@AlexBores) March 26, 2022
There was no representative from the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) present.