Assemblyman William Colton (D – Gravesend, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach, and Dyker Heights) says that Hurricane Ida has dumped an unexpectedly large amount of rain on New York City Streets causing them to look like rivers, and subway stations to look like Niagara Falls in New York State at the beginning of September.

“I shot off a letter to the DEP Commissioner demanding that federal infrastructure monies be used for sewer upgrades. The Ida flooding happened due to a drainage system that is a century old and was not built to handle that much water. The sewer system was overwhelmed and was unable to handle such heavy rains. The combined sewer system might work on dry days, but not when the waterfalls are as severe as it was during Hurricane Ida,” Colton stated.

“In particular, based on constituent complaints, the city sewer system desperately needs infrastructure upgrading in the area of a) Bay Parkway to Kings Highway to Stillwell Avenue where the last rezoning plan raised zoning to R6 along Kings Highway, Bay Parkway and Avenue P, b) to Bay Parkway to 18 Avenue between 80 Street and 86 Street and c) between 24 Avenue and 27 Avenue from Stillwell Avenue to Bath Avenue,” Colton said.

“Also, I walked through my district and noticed that many catch basins are clogged with leaves and garbage on the surface as well as guck on the bottom. These conditions contribute to streets being flooded during heavy rains. There are too many constituents in my district whose properties were severely damaged due to the city’s failure to upgrade and maintain the sewer system.Therefore, I am demanding that the NYC DEP Commissioner must devise a plan for a sewer system upgrade,” Colton continues.

“With the appropriation of billions of Federal dollars under the stimulus packages, these monies should not be targeted exclusively for Manhattan and tourist related uses but must also be prioritized to improve essential city infrastructure needed to ensure outer boroughs livability for residents,” Colton asserted.