Is Upstate New York just a giant waste of space?

[NyWriterdude]

Originally Posted by VA Yankee

We watched on tv how the subway system was flooded with water just pouring in the tunnel entrance's. What amazed us is that the system has no flood gates to be closed in case a situation like this occures. We have tunnels throughout the Hampton Roads area and everyone has flood gates that are closed in severe weather, and yes they are tested anually to ensure they work.

And it would not likely cost 10 of billions of dollars to install flood gates for the whole system. Meaning its not going to be built. There are multiple places they'd need to install flood gates, and the subway tunnels themselves are ventilated by air shafts along the street. The system wasn't built with flood gates in mind.

[ThinkingElsewhere]

Originally Posted by NyWriterdude

And it would not likely cost 10 of billions of dollars to install flood gates for the whole system. Meaning its not going to be built. There are multiple places they'd need to install flood gates, and the subway tunnels themselves are ventilated by air shafts along the street. The system wasn't built with flood gates in mind.

^^ I'll also add that NYC doesn't usually experience hurricanes on that level that Sandy was which is probably why they didn't have flood gates for the entire system.

[VA Yankee]

Originally Posted by NyWriterdude

And it would not likely cost 10 of billions of dollars to install flood gates for the whole system. Meaning its not going to be built. There are multiple places they'd need to install flood gates, and the subway tunnels themselves are ventilated by air shafts along the street. The system wasn't built with flood gates in mind.

And it has cost how much to repair the damages?? Obviously not every tunnel entrance is vulnerable but they should start to have some type of barriers at the most vulnerable. Besides they can just jack the MTA tax up and justify it as operational expenses....

[NyWriterdude]

Originally Posted by VA Yankee

And it has cost how much to repair the damages?? Obviously not every tunnel entrance is vulnerable but they should start to have some type of barriers at the most vulnerable. Besides they can just jack the MTA tax up and justify it as operational expenses....

They had insurance, plus money from FEMA came in. Bloomberg and other NYC politicians have said that this type of hurricane is such a rare event they will not bother to put up barriers. Any new money coming in they'd rather spend it on building new subway lines, buying new subway trains, doing technological upgrades to the network, etc.

For starters, as someone who lives in NYC, putting barriers at tunnel entrances and stations is pointless. Know why? The subway is not meant to be airtight. Trains and other electrical equipment give off heat. How does the system get rid of that heat? They have vents (read holes) all along the streets were the trains run. If you tried to seal the tunnel entrances and stations, water would still get in on the vents, and you'd still have massive flooding. Many of these streets are in comparatively low areas (some aren't, some are in high areas).

Basically, what they would have to do is just use more pumps the next time the system floods. Even a heavy thunderstorm in NYC often stalls trains, as if enough water gets on the tracks, once it gets to the level of the electrified third rail, they have to turn off the electricity for obvious purposes. Regular rain storms flood the tunnels as well, but the water is pumped out. Now, a hurricane is going to overwhelm the regular pumps, but after the hurricane stops they can use more pump trains to pump out the tunnels faster, limiting the damage.