NYC -U -Bahn -Geysir caused by the old Manhattan stream

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Manhattan's pre -colonial topography is responsible for the U -Bahn geyser of the 28th Street Station, which bursts with bubbling water during the heavy rain.

The measuring hole cover on the U -Bahn platform flooded spectacular in the storm again on Monday. The MTA chairman Janno preferred to accuse the city's aging sewage system, which has not been able to cope with the more than 2 inch rain that fell in an hour that night.

The same sewers also acted with rainwater at any other station in the city, where the floods rarely reach the same level. This is because Manhattan's original terrain makes the 28th Street Station uniquely susceptible.

A topographical map of New York City from 1865 shows that the station was built in the 28th Street and in the Seventh Avenue on swamp land and water flows out of several blocks.

“Before there was 28th Street, there was a forest and there was a wetland in this forest, and it turned out that the 1 -train station in the 28th Street in the middle of this wetland claps properly,” said Eric Sanderson, the Vice President for Urban Conservation Center for Nature Conservation and Restoration Ecology in New York Botanic Garden.

Sanderson said the pavement over this wetland had only worsened the floods. Where water was once absorbed by dirt and trees, it now keeps very little that it flows underground -and in our U -Bahn system.

“It turns out that although we have built all these large buildings and everywhere, this topography is still there, and water runs downhill,” he said.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Sanderson said, the city installed wastewater pipes that are large enough to master typical rainstorms during this time. However, climate change means that storms become stronger and more common.

“They were adjusted for the climate at the time,” he said. “You would have to tear them out, put them in larger ones [ones]Guess what the climate of the future will be and hope that it is big enough. “

He estimates that 20% of New York City are in a “blue zone” in which water always gathered. These areas are now susceptible to floods.

“I think that goes fundamentally into a kind of equity question: Will you let other parts of the city flood and then protect this part of the city?” Said Sanderson.

There is only a safe bet for his money. “In the long run, I don't think you can deny nature.”

NYC Transportation News this week

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Question from Michael in Queens

With the rollout of the first part of the new queens bus paths and plans, I see many buses that say “rush”. What does that mean?

Answer

The MTA implements a complete redesign of the Queens bus network, which includes adding new “rush” routes. The purpose of the new routes is to better serve commuters who continue to live in residential areas. Rush Routes often worries in residential areas and less stopover in more busy inner city areas such as Flushing and Jamaica. They bring more people in Transit deserts into the U -Bahn and aim to make it faster. A map of the new bus networks shows that most rush routes in eastern and southeastern queens are located in districts such as Floral Park, Glen Oaks, Queens Village and Rosedale. The complete redesign project was divided into two phases. The first phase began in June, while the second one will be completed on August 31.