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Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation
Overview
Locale	Roosevelt Island, Manhattan, New York City
Transit type	Local bus, Aerial Tramway
Number of lines	1 bus 1 aerial tramway
Daily ridership	1,566
Chief executive	Shelton J. Haynes (President and Chief Executive Officer)
Headquarters	591 Main Street, Roosevelt Island, NY 10044
Website	https://rioc.ny.gov
Operation
Began operation	1984
Operator(s)	New York State
Number of vehicles	6 buses

The Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC) is a New York State public-benefit corporation responsible for developing Roosevelt Island, a small island in the East River that is part of the New York City borough of Manhattan.

Organization

RIOC is guided by a 5-member board of directors. Its management team is headed by President and CEO Shelton J. Haynes, who reports to the board. In 2017, it had operating expenses of $26.09 million and a level of staffing of 175 people.

History

Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation was created by New York State in 1984 to manage development and operations of Roosevelt Island. Before RIOC there existed other state agencies which ran the island's day-to-day operations such as the Welfare Island Development Corporation and later the Roosevelt Island Development Corporation. The first RIOC Board and President were appointed by the Governor in 1986.

The New York State Urban Development Corporation (UDC) operated New York City’s Welfare Island, as Roosevelt Island was previously known, prior to RIOC. Development of the island was based on the principles of urban "new communities" under President Lyndon Johnson’s "Great Society" programs of the 1960s and early 1970s, and development of the "new" community there was authorized by the 99-year ground lease and accompanying General Development Plan (GDP) agreed upon by New York City and New York State in 1969. The NY State GDP, which has been amended from time to time, provides for the development of housing, shops and community facilities for a mixed-income, handicap-accessible residential neighborhood.

Roosevelt Island requires specialized operations and infrastructure maintenance such as the aerial tramway, an on-island bus system, an underground pneumatic tube garbage collection system, and seawall improvements. Basic services such as MTA stops on the subway (Roosevelt Island station) and bus routes (Q102 bus), as well as water and sewage input and output, are provided by other agencies such as the MTA and the City of New York. Meanwhile, RIOC supplements these services with its own specialized operations, infrastructure, and capital improvements.

Today, the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation manages a mixed-income community of about 12,000 residents featuring numerous parks and greenspaces, recreational facilities, and six city-designated landmark buildings. The waterfront promenade circling the island provides panoramic views of New York City icons such as the United Nations Headquarters, the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, the Queensboro Bridge, and the landmarked Pepsi-Cola sign in Queens.

Transportation

Roosevelt Island Red Bus

Now-retired OBI Orion VII OG HEV 07.501 #2 on the Red Bus shuttle.
Parent	Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation
Locale	Roosevelt Island
Service area	Roosevelt Island - Octagon, Main Street, Tramway, Cornell Tech
Service type	Shuttle bus
Routes	3
Fleet	see below
Fuel type	Diesel and Hybrid
Operator	Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation
Chief executive	Shelton J. Haynes
Website	Official website

The Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation operates the Roosevelt Island Tram and the Red Bus, which connects the tram to island locations. The bus service started charging a small fare in 1991; the fare was completely removed in 2014.

Routes

Bus roster

Active Roster
Fleet Number(s)	Photo	Year	Make	Model	Notes
6		2009	OBI	Orion VII NG HEV (07.501)	Runs mainly during rush hours
8-9		2016	New Flyer	XD40 Xcelsior	Purchased to replace Orion VII OG HEV buses due to unreliability
10-11		2018
0.5		Unknown Year	Ford/Glaval	Unknown	Temporary use as of September 3, 2024. Used mainly between the hours of 11 PM and 1 AM.
Retired Roster
Fleet Number(s)	Photo	Year	Make	Model	Notes
1-4		2005	OBI	Orion VII OG HEV (07.501)	Retired in 2018 1 and 2 were bought by the Port Authority for JFK shuttle use
1-3, 6, 8		1994	New Flyer	D40LF	Likely retired by the purchase of buses 1-4 and 5-6
5		2009	OBI	Orion VII NG HEV (07.501)	Stopped running in mid-2023. Officially retired in September 2024.
7		2007	OBI	Orion VII NG HEV	Ex-Orion demo Demoed with the MTA as #1294 Purchased in March 2010 Last ran in June 2023 and confirmed retired October 2023

Future Fleet: RIOC will be getting 2 future New Flyer Xcelsior XD40 models in late 2024 or early 2025.

AVAC

RIOC operates the island's high-tech sanitation system, called automated vacuum collection (AVAC). In this system, a computer turns on the trash receptacles in each building every hour, opening a valve that releases garbage into one of two underground pipes. These pipes then suck the garbage into the AVAC complex, where dust and waste are filtered, packaged, and released. When the system was installed, the only other pneumatic garbage system in the US was in Disney World.

Public safety

The RIPSD protects the island's property including all facilities by patrolling certain contracted residential buildings 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, the New York City Police Department is responsible for providing policing service on Roosevelt Island. RIPSD public safety employs approximately 40 special patrol officers.

Parks and recreation

RIOC maintains and rents out sports fields around the island for public use. The Sportspark exercise facility at the southern end of Roosevelt Island features a pool, basketball court, fitness center, and a rec room with billiards, ping pong, and air hockey.

See also

• Hudson River Park Trust
• Hugh L. Carey Battery Park City Authority
• Lower Manhattan Development Corporation
• Municipal Assistance Corporation for the City of NY
• New York Convention Center Operating Corporation
• United Nations Development Corporation

References

1. ^ "RIOC Exec Staff Page". Retrieved November 6, 2018.
2. "RIOC Board Page". Retrieved November 6, 2018.
3. "NYSABO 2018 Report" (PDF). pp. 16, 44. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
4. "2020 Census Tabulation Tables". Census Bureau.
5. ^ Bashan, Yoni (2014-04-03). "Save Your Change: This Ride on New York's Roosevelt Island is Free". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2023-09-01.
6. Daley, Suzanne (1991-05-30). "Roosevelt Island Journal; Dime Bus Ride: A Way of Life Ends". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-11-23.
7. ^ "Red Bus Schedule | Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation of the State of New York". rioc.ny.gov. Retrieved 2020-10-06.
8. "Shopper's Red Bus | Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation of the State of New York". rioc.ny.gov. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
9. "RIOC's NFI Group Media (1994 D40LF) | TTMG". www.ttmg.org. Retrieved 2021-05-07.
10. "Roosevelt Island Red Bus Service - CPTDB Wiki".
11. Islander, Roosevelt. "First Board Of Directors Meeting For New RIOC Leadership Team Thursday February 1, Come See What Happens And Ask Your Questions - Purchase Of 2 Diesel Red Buses On Agenda, Why Not Hybrid Buses Instead Asks Directors". Retrieved 2024-04-01.
12. "How New York's Roosevelt Island Sucks Away Summer Trash Stink". NPR.org. Retrieved 2022-01-26.

External links

• Official website
  • "Parks & Recreation". RIOC. Events, memberships, permits
• "RIRA Online". Roosevelt Island Residents Association.

v t e Officers in the State of New York
Current offices	Governor Lieutenant Governor Speaker of the Assembly Temporary President of the Senate Secretary of State Attorney General State Comptroller Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals Associate Judge of the Court of Appeals Clerk of the Court of Appeals Clerk of the State Assembly
Defunct offices	Chancellor (1777–1847) State Treasurer (1776–1926) State Engineer (1846–1926) Canal Commissioner (1810–1878) Superintendent of Public Works (1877–1967) Inspector of State Prisons (1848–1877) New York Superintendent of State Prisons (1877–1926)

• Public benefit corporations in New York (state)
• Roosevelt Island