Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s news conference today to discuss the condition of state bridges ended up being more about the problems caused by an early-morning deluge that flooded the city’s subway system and wreaked havoc on every train line.
Spitzer called the problems, caused by 3 inches of rain over an hour, “a highly unusual event” but then said it was the third time in his seven months in office that drainage problems have caused delays or outages on every line. “We have a design issue we have to figure out,” Spitzer said.
Spitzer said he plans to commission a 30-day study of the MTA’s drainage system.
Said MTA executive director Elliot “Lee” Sander: “The timing and intensity of this storm took us by surprise because it was not predicted by the National Weather Service.”
Sander said his agency hoped to release by 3:30 p.m. information about outages and delays for the evening commute. He said the E, F, R and V lines would not be running. Sander said he was also most concerned about the Lexington Avenue and Broadway lines and added that the B and Q lines were down because wind knocked a tree across four tracks at Stillwell Avenue.
We'll have updates as more info becomes available.
