MTA Flood Mitigation Streetscape Design wins Urban Design Merit AIA annual award
MTA has a new flood mitigation policy for New York City. Rogers Marvel Architects, with di Domenico & Partners and Stantec have implemented a new project to protect the subway from excessive water in times of flooding. Most of the New York City’s excess floodwater pours through sidewalk grates, often directly into the subway system, leading to delays and electrical damage, for example, during the flood of August 8, 2007, which shut down the F train altogether during rush hour. This led to traveler’s mayhem and public criticism of the unprepared MTA.
In response, Rogers Marvel Architects and Engineers designed a new ventilation system that meshes functionality with aesthetics – it is composed of elevated grates of different heights, the tallest one about knee level, and each is equipped with a sidewalk bench at one side. The varying heights of the grates drain 98 percent of running water. This is much more efficient than the typical New York City grates that are only raised a few inches above the ground, which allow for excess water to run over the surface without draining, entering the subway system. The grates are about five feet long, and of varying widths, depending on the size of the particular sidewalk. They have been installed in 2400 spots along Hillside Avenue in Queens, a particularly flood-prone area, and more are being installed along Northern Boulevard, Queens Plaza, and Long Island City.
Since the August flooding event of 2007, which impeded NYC transportation, the MTA, the NYC Transportation and Environmental Protection commissioners, and the NY DOT commissioner have worked together to improve preparedness and response time to extreme weather events. They are also hoping to increase communication to the public, including real-time information regarding trains and buses (an area of technology in which NYC lags behind most other major cities). The bigger picture of flooding damage stems from poor infrastructure and soil permeability, but Rogers Marvel Architects and collaborators provide a temporary solution to the perpetual but intermittent problem.
Rogers Marvel Architects, with di Domenico & Partners, and Stantec have earned an Urban Design Merit award from the AIA annual Design Awards Program, for the MTA Floot Mitigation Streetscape Design.
The 2010 AIA Design Awards are on display until July 3, 2010 at the Center for Architecture, 536 LaGuardia Place, New York, (212) 683-0023.
