I was walking past Roosevelt Island’s Rivercross Building last Sunday afternoon and noticed this gentleman walking his dog on the Rivercross lawn.

Image of Rivercross Lawn Dog Ban Being Violated Apparently, he did not see, or chose to ignore, the new sign posted on the Rivercross Lawn

banning dogs from the lawn.

No Dogs Or Pets Allowed On Grass Or Field Areas

The issue of Dogs on Roosevelt Island was raised during the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) May 2 Public Safety Committee Meeting:

Member brought resident complaints about the amount of dog feces that is not being picked up by walkers, as well as individuals who are walking dogs off the lease {leash}. One member mentioned the possibility of a dog run area specifically for smaller dogs that is in discussion. Public awareness signs suggested, as well as ticket enforcement.

A dog run specifically for smaller dogs was recently added to the Southtown Dog Run pictured below.

Image of Southtown Dog Runs For Large and Small Dogs

Image of Southtown Small Dog Run Let’s see if the Roosevelt Island Public Safety Department starts enforcing with tickets when people bring dogs to areas that they are not permitted use. Now that the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp ( RIOC ) has banned dogs from the Rivercross Lawn, will RIOC also ban dogs from the Riverwalk Commons between 425 and 455 Main Street as well?

Image of Riverwalk Commons From Above This previous post reported that dogs were banned from the Riverwalk Lawns between 405, 415 and 425 Main Street last year by the building’s management, Related Management:

Re: Dogs on Lawns between 405, 415 and 425 Main Street

Effectively immediately, dogs are no longer permitted on the lawn between 405 and 415 Main Street or the lawn between 415 and 425 Main Street.

This decision was made for the safety of our residents and appearance of our landscaping.

Staff from both buildings will be monitoring this space to ensure that residents are adhering to this newly established policy.

Thank you for your anticipated cooperation.

Is there any reason why dogs should be allowed on RIOC controlled Riverwalk Commons when they are banned from RIOC controlled Rivercross Lawn and Related Management controlled Riverwalk Building Lawns? Remember, there was a time when Roosevelt Island was a Place Without Dogs as explained in this video. UPDATE 6/8 – Received this message from RIOC ‘s VP of Operations Fernando Martinez:

It is our intent to prohibit dogs on the Riverwalk Commons lawn. We are waiting for the signs to arrive.