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Residents of Roosevelt Island, that weird little slice of Mayberry smack in the middle of Manhattan and Queens, are not happy to contemplate their tram being shut down for inspection.

Reports the NY Times:

Next spring, the gliding red cars, a part of life on the island since 1976, will be taken out of service for at least six months as the system undergoes a $25 million overhaul.

Residents can wait for the occasional, and very packed, F train. But that doesn’t seem to be much of an option–especially as the population on the former “Welfare Island” is expected to double in the next few years.

Janet Shea, a 26-year resident of the island, waited impatiently Wednesday morning for the F train. Like many other passengers, she said, she had budgeted the delays into her commuting schedule.

“I don’t see how the island is going to function next year,” said Ms. Shea, who works in finance. “It’s already a nightmare.”

The city will upgrade the tram’s technology so that the system can run while maintenance is going on.

The tram famously broke down in 2006, leaving some riders stuck above the East River for 11 hours.

[image: Librado Romero, NYT]