The subway was delayed and still under construction; trolley tracks that formerly served Roosevelt Island via the Queensboro Bridge were unusable; and the only way on and off the island was via the Roosevelt Island Bridge to Queens. An aerial tram route, the Roosevelt Island Tramway, was opened in May 1976 as a "temporary" connection to Manhattan.
The subway service was disrupted due to ongoing construction, which made it impossible for trolley tracks that previously connected Roosevelt Island to Manhattan via the Queensboro Bridge to be used. The only means of accessing the island was through the Roosevelt Island Bridge to Queens. To address this issue, a temporary aerial tramway, the Roosevelt Island Tramway, was introduced in May 1976 as a solution.