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New storm-resistant street with ‘porous pavement’ opens in Rockaway, just in time for hurricane season
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Bahar Ostadan
Published Jun 18, 2023
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Courtesy New York City Department of Environmental Protection
By
Bahar Ostadan
Published Jun 18, 2023
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The city unveiled a new storm-resistant street last week along an area of Rockaway that was flooded and destroyed in 2012 by Hurricane Sandy.
A short strip of Beach 108th Street has now been fitted with new bike lanes and wider pedestrian walkways, which have all been constructed with special asphalt called “porous pavement” that city officials said will reduce flooding.
Most of New York City – more than 70% – can’t absorb rainfall, according to the city's Department of Environmental Protection.
The revamped street, which runs from Beach Channel Drive to Shore Front Parkway, was announced on Tuesday — just in time for the start of hurricane season, which typically begins in June.
The 11,000 square feet of new pavement can reduce flooding by absorbing nearly 1.3 million gallons of stormwater each year, city officials said. The permeable concrete slabs let stormwater drain through the concrete and into the ground beneath it.
“We are keeping more than a million gallons of stormwater out of the sewers each year which will reduce localized flooding and help protect the health of Jamaica Bay,” said Rohit Aggarwala, the city's chief climate officer and the commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection, in a statement.
New Yorkers will see similar “green” infrastructure in future projects thanks to the Department of Design and Construction’s recent Unified Stormwater Rule, which was established last year and changed requirements for managing stormwater that discharges to sewers.
“The people of Rockaway have been waiting a long time for this day,” Councilwoman Joann Ariola said in a statement. “At long last, we will finally have a safe, steady, and efficient flow of traffic here, and the area is now more resilient than ever before.”
The completed project also gives cyclists and pedestrians an easier connection to the Rockaway ferry terminal and boardwalk.
The work is part of a $16.6 million project that began in March 2021, and also included the repair or replacement of 1,100 feet of storm sewer and 22 catch basins. Another 140 feet of new storm sewers and three catch basins were also added, along with new left turn lanes designed to improve traffic safety.
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Bahar Ostadan
Bahar Ostadan covers the NYPD and public safety. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or message Bahar on Signal at 646-740-7335.
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