Crain's New York - November 5, 2012 - (Page 10)

OPINION The next superstorm CRAIN’S NEW YORK BUSINESS editor in chief Rance Crain publisher, vp Jill R. Kaplan EDITORIAL editor Glenn Coleman managing editor Jeremy Smerd deputy managing editors Valerie Block, Erik Ipsen assistant managing editor Erik Engquist senior producer, news Elisabeth Butler Cordova news producer Lauren Elkies contributing editor Elaine Pofeldt columnists Greg David, Alair Townsend crain’s health pulse editor Barbara Benson senior reporters Theresa Agovino, Aaron Elstein, Lisa Fickenscher, Matthew Flamm reporters Chris Bragg, Amanda Fung, Daniel Geiger, Andrew J. Hawkins, Annie Karni, Adrianne Pasquarelli web reporter, producer Nazish Dholakia art director Steven Krupinski deputy art director Carolyn McClain staff photographer Buck Ennis copy desk chief Steve Noveck copy editor Thaddeus Rutkowski data editor Suzanne Panara assistant data editor Emily Laermer researchers Eva Saviano, Amy Stern intern Ali Elkin ONLINE AND INTERACTIVE SERVICES senior web developer, interactive Chris O’Donnell ADVERTISING, MARKETING AND PRODUCTION advertising director Trish Henry senior account managers Irene Bar-Am, Courtney McCombs, Suzanne Wilson account executive Jill Bottomley Kunkes sales coordinator Danielle Wiener newsletter product manager Alexis Sinclair credit Todd J. Masura (313-446-6097) director, audience development Michael O’Connor senior marketing manager Catherine Schutten event producer Courtney Williams reprint sales manager Lauren Melesio production and pre-press director Michael Corsi advertising production manager Suzanne Fleischman Wies TO SUBSCRIBE: For print and digital subscriptions or customer service, e-mail customerservice@crainsnewyork.com or call 877-824-9379 (in the U.S. and Canada) or 313-446-0450 (all other locations). $3.00 a copy for the print edition; or $99.95 one year, $179.95 two years, for print subscriptions with digital access. www.crainsnewyork.com/subscribe TO ADVERTISE: Contact Advertising Director Trish Henry at thenry@crainsnewyork.com or call 212-210-0711. www.crainsnewyork.com/advertise FOR INFORMATION ON OUR EVENTS: Contact Event Producer Courtney Williams at cwilliams@crainsnewyork.com or 212-210-0257. www.crainsnewyork.com/events TO CONTACT THE NEWSROOM: A fter New York puts itself back together following Sandy’s destructive visit—a task that will cost billions of dollars—we will all have to confront a second question: how to prepare for the next superstorm. That’s going to cost big money as well, of course. And while it’s troubling that the debts incurred by local governments and public agencies have grown inexorably for decades, it bears mentioning that the expense of smart storm planning reduces the cost of future storm recovery. It prevents a lot of misery, too. But what should be done? The answers include both infrastructure work and policy reforms. The former involves things like higher sea walls and better protection of the equipment crucial to the power grid and mass transit. The latter will involve making our transportation network more flexible and adaptable, as well as more revenue-conscious. Yes, that is code for East River bridge tolls and other pricing mechanisms to shape commuting behavior and raise money. We’ll leave the engineering to the engineers and instead broach some policy prescriptions. Thorough reconsideration of our building code and zoning is needed to align them with the realities of climate change and rising sea levels, and to incorporate new technologies to make the built environment more weather-resistant. In some cases, infrastructure may need to be moved out of nature’s way, not into it. Congestion pricing, which New York needs no matter the climate to optimize traffic flow and generate revenue, would Sea walls? Yes. But traffic and telecom walls, too be especially effective when the transit system is crippled. Fees could be raised temporarily to prevent the kind of vehicular onslaught that choked midtown Manhattan last week, costing businesses untold losses as people spent hours in gridlock. Without a traffic-control policy in place, the city must resort to impromptu restrictions. The high-occupancyvehicle dictum imposed last week is sensible. But it caused backups at checkpoints because motorists were confused. There may be ways to minimize the disruption of power failures, such as solar-powered cell towers. The loss of mobile-phone service was salt in the wounds of those in Manhattan without electricity last week. Better broadband, perhaps even citywide Wi-Fi, would facilitate telecommuting and overall communication during transit emergencies. Politicians have had trouble lately asking taxpayers for infrastructure funding. Should their courage continue to fail them, they could ask voters to approve a bond issue for hurricane preparedness. But first, the planners and engineers must put forth a list of sensible flood-prevention measures. Smart projects would save money in the long term. With extreme weather becoming more frequent, the long term might be shorter than anyone expects. CRAIN’S ONLINE POLL COMMENTS Marathon man-up STAY IN THE RACE! newscom SHOULD THE ING NEW YORK CITY MARATHON HAVE BEEN CANCELED? Yes. This is not the time to divert hundreds of police and fire personnel from post-storm recovery efforts. No. The race with nearly 50,000 runners will be an important symbol of New York’s ability to bounce back from Hurricane Sandy Date of poll: Nov. 1 212 votes 38% No Re your Nov. 1 reader poll, “Should the ING New York City Marathon be called off?”: I understand the concerns of those not in favor of holding the race so soon after the deadly Superstorm Sandy upended the entire city, but I believe the positive energy that this event brings to New York and New Yorkers every year far outweighs the potential negative repercussions. I ran the NYC Marathon in 2002, and I don’t care what the “outside” world thinks of us either way— this annual event is for us New Yorkers and for those who have worked so hard to be a part of it and make it happen, many of whom are running to raise money and awareness for charitable organizations. need to realize that the government can’t help them in most cases of serious disaster. This was not anywhere near as bad as it could have been. (I am not saying it wasn’t bad, but it could have been much worse.) People must learn to think and prepare. I was amazed, but not surprised, by how many people didn’t fill up their cars before the storm, stock up on food, batteries, grills, etc. If this were really bad, they’d be stuck and in trouble. which is exactly what packs the many cellars of downtown and the subway tunnels. Pumping out the water is the easy part. —premature LESSONS FROM THE DELUGE You asked in an online poll, “What is the greatest lesson of Sandy for NYC?” Here’s one: Don’t build in Zone A areas. I live in Long Island City, in the PowerHouse, which was five feet under water.The lobby, gym and bike room are destroyed, and we have no electricity (not even backup) and no hot water. Next door, a 1,100-student high school is being built and is scheduled to open next year. (Right!) In addition, there are plans to construct housing for 5,000 families. I wonder how these plans got approved and why our otherwise so-smart mayor is enthusiastically behind the project, called Hunters Point South. —dave DON’T COMPARE SANDY WITH 9/11 It’s too early for Greg David to be comparing the storm’s property damage and jobs impact in his blog. Sandy’s destruction is much like an iceberg—much of it is below ground, to a scale that Mr. David and the rest of the media seem to be blind to. Salt water is a killer of delicate electrical systems, 711 Third Ave., New York, NY 10017-4036 editorial phone: 212.210.0277 fax 212.210.0799 Entire contents ©copyright 2012 Crain Communications Inc. All rights reserved. ®CityBusiness is a registered trademark of MCP Inc., used under license agreement. PUBLISHED BY CRAIN COMMUNICATIONS INC. chairman Keith E. Crain president Rance Crain secretary Merrilee Crain treasurer Mary Kay Crain executive vp, operations William Morrow senior vp, group publisher Gloria Scoby group vp, technology, circulation, manufacturing Robert C. Adams vp/production, manufacturing David Kamis chief information officer Paul Dalpiaz founder G.D. Crain Jr. (1885-1973) chairman Mrs. G.D. Crain Jr. (1911-1996) —steve rowe 62% Yes BE PREPARED, KIDS Re “Gas shortage idles NYC” (CrainsNewYork.com): People —michael botlo FOR THIS WEEK’S QUESTIONS: Go to www.crainsnewyork.com/poll to have your say. CRAIN’S WELCOMES SUBMISSIONS to its opinion pages. Send letters to letters@crainsnewyork.com. Send columns of 475 words or fewer to opinion@crainsnewyork.com. Please include the writer’s name, company, address and telephone number. 10 | Crain’s New York Business | November 5, 2012 http://www.crainsnewyork.com/subscribe http://www.crainsnewyork.com/advertise http://www.crainsnewyork.com/events http://www.crainsnewyork.com http://www.crainsnewyork.com/poll

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Crain's New York - November 5, 2012

IN THE BOROUGHS
IN THE MARKETS
THE INSIDER
BUSINESS PEOPLE
EDITORIAL
GREG DAVID
REAL ESTATE DEALS
REPORT: EDUCATION
CLASSIFIEDS
FOR THE RECORD
DIGITAL NEW YORK
SMALL BUSINESS
NEW YORK, NEW YORK
SOURCE LUNCH
OUT AND ABOUT
SNAPS

Crain's New York - November 5, 2012