Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D-Rockaway) has requested that Maura McCarthy, Commissioner of New York City’s Department of Transportation (DOT), conduct an immediate investigation into the collapsed Bay Wall, flooding and severe damages caused by Superstorm Sandy along Beach Channel Drive, between Beach 116th Street and Beach 149th Street. The combination of the storm damages and collapsed Bay Wall (also known as a bulkhead), has compromised usage of Beach Channel Drive, one of the busiest roads in the Rockaways and one of the only east-west corridors in the area.
“I’ve been fighting for the investigation and restoration of the deteriorating Bay Wall surrounding the Rockaways for the past year,” Assemblyman Goldfeder said. “Superstorm Sandy only further aggravated a problem our community has fought to address in the past. Right now, the safety of Beach Channel Drive is questionable and this puts our families at a level of risk that I refuse to accept.”
Recently, families and community leaders have expressed concern regarding Beach Channel Drive’s safety. The deterioration and collapse of the bulkhead leaves the road without much underground support and eliminates what little flood protection the Rockaways had in the past, noted Assemblyman Goldfeder. Further damage to the Bay Wall, either through decay or additional storm damage, could lead to the formation of sinkholes, putting the homes along Beach Channel Drive at even greater risk.
“The storm damage we’ve experienced and the catastrophe that thousands of Rockaway families are currently working to rebuild from is reason enough for an immediate investigation into the safety and future viability of Beach Channel Drive,” President of Community Board 14 Jonathan Gaska said. “We can’t take any more chances when it comes to protecting our families and one of the most important roads in the Rockaway community.”
“All of the storm damage along Beach Channel Drive can be connected back to the decaying Bay Wall,” Assemblyman Goldfeder said. “The DOT should take immediate action to investigate and repair the current damage, not only to keep the road safe but also to prevent any future storm damage from destroying our community. I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure the Bay Wall is permanently fixed and Beach Channel Drive is a safe, viable roadway for Rockaway families.”
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