by Alco83
RailwayAge: In the wake of the Aug. 8 rainstorm that flooded New York City's transportation system and crippled its subways, the New York MTA has sent a report to Gov. Eliot Spitzer outlining steps it will take to prevent a recurrence of that day's chaos. These include an immediate commitment of $30 million for short-term fixes plus longer-term initiatives in engineering, operations, and communications that could cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
MTA's summary of the report submitted to Albany concluded that "the severity, timing, and lack of warning of the Aug. 8 storm hindered storm reparations and exposed the vulnerabilities of several aspects of the MTA's transportation system. The system flooded due to enormous amounts of water pouring into the subways and low-lying rights-of-way from flooded streets, overwhelmed pumps or backflow from external drainage sources, and some drainage blocked by debris from the storm itself."
As a beginning, said MTA, "Doppler radar is being installed in each agency's operations center, an MTA-wide Emergency Response Center has been created, and new storm protocols will be into place to guide alternative service.
"Engineering solutions target the to ten flood-prone locations -� six operated by NYC Transit, two by Metro-North Railroad, and two by Long Island Rail Road -- with an action plan already in place. Solutions for the remaining locations will be developed over the next 60-90 days, drawing from a toolbox of potential to both to prevent water inflow and to remove it once it flows in, including installing check valves to prevent backflow, pursuing better sewer connections,increasing pumping capacity, pre-deploying portable pumps and personnel, installing closeable vents and constructing step-ups to station stairwell entrances that flood. Innovative street furniture will be considered to raise vents at key locations."
MTA's summary of the report submitted to Albany concluded that "the severity, timing, and lack of warning of the Aug. 8 storm hindered storm reparations and exposed the vulnerabilities of several aspects of the MTA's transportation system. The system flooded due to enormous amounts of water pouring into the subways and low-lying rights-of-way from flooded streets, overwhelmed pumps or backflow from external drainage sources, and some drainage blocked by debris from the storm itself."
As a beginning, said MTA, "Doppler radar is being installed in each agency's operations center, an MTA-wide Emergency Response Center has been created, and new storm protocols will be into place to guide alternative service.
"Engineering solutions target the to ten flood-prone locations -� six operated by NYC Transit, two by Metro-North Railroad, and two by Long Island Rail Road -- with an action plan already in place. Solutions for the remaining locations will be developed over the next 60-90 days, drawing from a toolbox of potential to both to prevent water inflow and to remove it once it flows in, including installing check valves to prevent backflow, pursuing better sewer connections,increasing pumping capacity, pre-deploying portable pumps and personnel, installing closeable vents and constructing step-ups to station stairwell entrances that flood. Innovative street furniture will be considered to raise vents at key locations."
