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Will Hannah Flood the Subway?
September 5th, 2008

With upwards of up to six inches of rain expected this weekend from Tropical Storm Hannah, one thinks back to the subway flooding of just over a year ago. Unfortunately, not much has happened since then.

The MTA is scheduled to raise 16 subway vents in Lower Manhattan by March 2009, according to the Tribeca Trib. The first one is scheduled to be installed today. They are meant to keep water from draining into the tunnels. Although they are planned citywide, a spokesperson says there is no timetable yet.

At least when they are finished, the new structures will have bike racks. How uber-functional. (Take that David Byrne!) The new grates were designed by Grimshaw Architects, who also designed the new street furniture which has garnered a less than stellar reaction.

Deidre Parker, a spokesperson for the New York City Transit, says that this weekend the agency will be laying tarps over the subway vents in trouble spots. “We have cleaned out subway drains and checked our pump room equipment and all is ready,” she adds.

Text message alerts from the MTA are also not ready yet.

Granted, this is no 100 year storm, but the occasion also presents a reason to reflect on the post-disaster emergency housing competition held last year. Design blog Core 77 does just that and writes, “It seems like these units offer more square footage and green spaces than most current NYC living situations, so we’re sure there will be a waiting list of 10 years or more.”

By Mike Muller on September 5, 2008, 5:44 pm
In category: Transportation
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