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New York Plans World's Largest Ferris Wheel

Posted by samzenpus on from the if-you-build-it-they-will-ride dept.

justelite writes "It is an old trend to build "The World's largest..." something. One of the latest somethings is a 630-foot tall Ferris wheel planned for Staten Island. Mayor Michael Bloomberg said 'The New York Wheel will be an attraction unlike any other in New York City even unlike any other on the planet.' Designed to carry 1,440 passengers at a time, it's expected to draw 4.5 million people a year to a setting that also would include a 100-shop outlet mall and a 200-room hotel."

9 of 170 comments (clear)

  1. My biggest fear by MyLongNickName · · Score: 5, Interesting

    This would scare the crap out of me. I can do any ride in an amusement park. Tallest, fastest, upside down... doesn't matter. Put me on a Ferris wheet and I'm grabbing the bar with white knuckles. I think it is the fact that I just have time to look out at the world and wonder about the minimum wage carnie who maintains the machine. That and the person sitting next to me can decide to start rocking the damn thing...

    No, it doesn't make a lot of sense, but I'd rather be on the 70mph dragster than on a small Ferris wheel.

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    1. Re:My biggest fear by TubeSteak · · Score: 5, Informative

      I think it is the fact that I just have time to look out at the world and wonder about the minimum wage carnie who maintains the machine.

      The manufacture of amusement and carnival rides is regulated at the Federal level.
      The set up, maintanence, and operation of traveling carnival rides is regulated at the Federal level.

      The set up, maintanence, and operation of permanent amusement and carnival rides is regulated at the State level.
      Your safety may vary.

      Alabama, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming have no regulation at all.
      New York has a strong regulatory environment.
      Would you like to know more?

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    2. Re:My biggest fear by RicktheBrick · · Score: 3, Informative

      Maybe the Ferris wheel will somehow get loose and start rolling and run over the prettiest female and you will safe her by grabbing her. Than she will sit on your lap and hug you until the wheel stops. By the time you are safely removed from the wheel, she will be madly in love with you. I mean if you are going to imagine something at least make it interesting. The odds of that happening are about the same as you being injured.

  2. 1,440 People on it at one time ??? by FlyHelicopters · · Score: 5, Interesting

    My first thought on reading that it would hold 1,440 people at once... in New York City... What a tempting target for a terrorist... Yea, I've been brainwashed, I know it...

  3. Not as big as the original by Relayman · · Score: 3, Informative

    It still won't be as big as the original Ferris Wheel which could hold 2,160 people at a time. Also, will a 9-minute ride still be 50 cents?

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  4. Re:Loading by Scootin159 · · Score: 3, Informative

    Ferris wheels like this don't stop for loading - they just have a mobile loading platform that moves with the wheel. Also remember that it's not 1440 people per car, but only 40 people that need to be loaded at once.

  5. New York trying to copycat London? by Cito · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Come on New York be original build another tower, or build world's largest roller coaster...

    No sense copycatting London

  6. unlike anything by j00r0m4nc3r · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The New York Wheel will be an attraction unlike any other in New York City even unlike any other on the planet

    I guess that's true if you don't count London or Shanghai as being on this planet...

  7. Interesting to note. by Daryen · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I used to run a much smaller ferris wheel. We only had 40 cars, 8 people per car. Even so, we had to very carefully balance the weight of people to opposing cars. The entire thing had very limited torque, it only took about 1,000 lbs without an equal weight on the opposite side for us to lose control of the wheel. It would spin on it's own, eventually reaching equilibrium.

    To load the whole thing, you had to load 1 set of cars "light" with just a few people, then the opposite side, then one set ahead of that, then one set behind the other set. It actually took a fair amount of training to transition from "20 cars light" to "40 cars heavy." Most of the operators were not skilled enough, and we even lost control of the wheel once when I took a day off. The entire park staff had to turn out and turn the wheel by hand (yes, I'm almost sorry I missed it).

    I'm sure such a large wheel will have much more torque, but it will be interesting to see how they load it.