Lower Manhattan Update 11-9-12
Lower Manhattan experienced a significant impact from Hurricane Sandy, but the recovery process has begun. The Downtown Alliance has compiled this information to help businesses, retailers, residents, and commercial property owners. Please email us at [email protected] with any questions.
As the recovery process continues to make significant strides, the Downtown Alliance is producing a daily email that provides you with all of the updates that could affect your home, business or office in Lower Manhattan with information from various agencies including New York City, New York State, MTA, Port Authority, Con Ed and more. If you would like to subscribe, please click here.
Remember, you can also get the latest updates and retail openings from Facebook and Twitter.
IMPORTANT LINKS
Disaster Assistance Service Centers
Food, blanket and water distribution locations
Overnight Warming Center locations and bus pick ups
MTA Status (Subways, Buses, Metro North, LIRR)
Board of Elections Poll Site Relocation Information
Alternate Side Parking and Meters
Governor Cuomo briefing, 12:30PM
– No structural damage, no flooding or beach erosion reported from Nor’Easter. Last night’s storm caused new power outages however.
– Queens Midtown tunnel will reopen fully at 6AM tomorrow.
– Progress on power restoration has slowed bc restoration is building by building at this point –requires building, electrical and utility inspectors. 90% of people have power back – primarily in impacted areas.
– Fuel system coming back slowly – availability is varied around the region. Worse in NYC than in surrounding counties. – Storm slowed tankers from coming to harbor. Power outages on Long Island still an issue – pumps at gas stations still without power.
– Can use photographs to prove loss to insurance companies. Important to dispose of debris as soon as possible.
– Impact stands at $50 billion in damage and economic loss. $33B in NY State alone.
– Sears has donated $1.5 million and Lowes has donated $1 million to region.
CON EDISION STEAM
As of the morning of November 8:
– 561 out of 1,700 steam customers are out of service
– Approximately 350 were restored and 7 were not able to receive steam service
– There are approximately 200 steam customers still off the system
– Today’s target is to restore another 89 steam customers
– While steam has been able to restore around 100 a day, that pace will slow down after today because of the challenge of water in lower Manhattan pipes — end date target is November 11th.
SUBWAY STATUS
– The South Ferry 1 station in Lower Manhattan is closed until further notice, after suffering serious water damage.
– B service has been extended to Brighton Beach.
– In addition D, F, and Q service has been restored to Coney Island – Stillwell Ave, providing direct subway service to Coney Island.
– G trains have resumed service along their full route from Church Avenue in Brooklyn to Court Square in Queens, through the Greenpoint tube, reconnecting a vital link between the boroughs that was severe damaged by Hurricane Sandy. Due to ongoing work to repair damaged communications and signal equipment inside the tube G trains will operate at no more than 10 mph through the, requiring trains to operate 12 minutes instead of every 8 minutes. To provide additional capacity, G trains will operate with eight cars instead of the usual four. Customers should expect delays and possible crowding.
– Staten Island Railway is operating on a limited, 15 minute schedule, and weekday AM express service is suspended as repair work on critical components continues.
– Work is ongoing to restore Canarsie Line L between Brooklyn and Manhattan.
– Crews continue to pump out the Montague Street Tube, in hopes of restoring full R line service.
– The 190th St station on the A is closed until further notice due to downed tree blocking the Fort Washington Avenue entrance.
– Sea Beach service on the N line in southern Brooklyn, A Far Rockaway and S Rockaway Park Shuttle service remain suspended.
If possible, customers are urged to stagger their commute by leaving earlier or later to avoid peak rush hour travel. Customers should check the Hurricane Recovery Map, the Service Advisory poster and monitor Service Status on this page for the latest service information.
More work needs to be done to restore normal subway service to all lines across the city. Crews are checking track, signals and other components, and then testing them to make sure they will function properly when service is restored.
Bus service is operating normally, but some routes may be operating with minor detours due to street conditions, customers are advised to look for signage at bus stops.
TIME WARNER OUTAGE INFORMATION
Time Warner has shared the following link for updates on Time Warner service: http://www.timewarnercable.com/en/residential-home/support/alerts/hurricane-sandy.html.
ODD-EVEN LICENSE PLATE SYSTEM FOR GASOLINE PURCHASES TO REDUCE WAIT TIMES
Mayor Bloomberg signed an emergency order to establish an odd-even license plate system for gasoline and diesel purchases to reduce wait times and lines at gas stations in the five boroughs. As the region’s petroleum infrastructure continues to come back online, gradually increasing the supply of available gasoline, the City is implementing the odd-even system – starting 6:00 AM on Friday – to accelerate the recovery of the distribution network and ease disruptions and wait times for drivers attempting to fuel their vehicles. The temporary odd-even system will remain in effect until further notice, and will operate as follows:
– Vehicles with license plates ending in an even number or the number “0” can make purchases of motor fuel on even numbered days.
– Vehicles with license plates ending in an odd number can make purchases of motor fuel on odd numbered days.
– Vehicles with licenses plates ending in a letter or other character can make purchases on odd numbered days.
– Commercial vehicles, emergency vehicles, buses and paratransit vehicles, Medical Doctor (MD) plates and vehicles licensed by the Taxi and Limousine Commission are exempt.
Earlier this week, NYPD officers were dispatched to all open gas stations in the five boroughs to maintain public safety, and police officers will remain deployed to ensure order. Violations of the emergency order are Class B misdemeanors. New Yorkers are encouraged to fuel up only when necessary and to use mass transit whenever possible.
NEW GUIDELINES TO SPEED HEATING OIL DELIVERIES AND BOILER REPAIRS
Mayor Bloomberg today announced new temporary guidelines to speed heating oil deliveries and boiler repairs that will ensure New Yorkers can heat homes and businesses. As a result of Hurricane Sandy, sufficient quantities of the low sulfur oil required by New York City law have been harder to obtain and distribute. To ensure that New Yorkers have access to heating fuel, the City has temporarily suspended the sulfur limits, which will allow the use of oils with higher sulfur content through December 7th. The City also has streamlined emergency work permits for boiler repairs and replacements to reduce the application timeline by as much as two weeks.
The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) issued the temporary waiver of the .15 percent sulfur limit set by the New York City Administrative Code for heating No. 4. Last week, DEP issued a temporary waiver of the requirement set forth in Section 24-168.1(b) of the New York City Administrative Code that grade no. 2, 4, and 6 heating oil contain at least two percent biodiesel by volume. New York State also has issued an executive order temporarily suspending its low sulfur requirements relating to no. 2 fuel oil sold in New York City.
DEP also will allow contractors to provide basic information about boiler work – including the type of boiler being installed and information about the licensed installer or plumber – to fast-track the permitting process by as much as two weeks. Information about where to submit the work permit application is available on www.nyc.gov/dep.
TRINITY WALL STREET BENEFIT CONCERT
Trinity Wall Street will present a special Concert for New York, performing Bach’s Mass in B minor at Trinity Church on Saturday, November 10 at 7:30 p.m. to benefit New York victims of Hurricane Sandy and its aftermath. The performers are the Trinity Choir and Trinity Baroque Orchestra conducted by Julian Wachner, with the concert free and open to the public. The event will benefit the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City, which is gathering donations to provide essential living supplies to New Yorkers in need – including food, water, blankets, baby supplies and other emergency items. The Mayor’s Fund retains no administrative fee, and 100 percent of donations are being dispersed to relief efforts and organizations.
Saturday, November 10, 2012, 7:30 pm (Trinity Church, Wall & Broadway, NYC)
Under normal circumstances, Trinity Wall Street musical events are all Webcast via www.trinitywallstreet.org. But Trinity was not unscathed by the effects of Sandy, with its video facilities flooded by the storm. There will be no Webcast of the B Minor Mass performance from the Concert for New York.
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