Informational Report
New York’s $52bn plan for the sea
Nicholas Nandalall
Engl 21007
Writing for Engineers
Professor Davidow
Intro
In late October 2012, the largest recorded hurricane over the Atlantic Ocean swept through the United States and became known as the infamous “Hurricane Sandy”. From the Carribean to Canada, 200+ people lost their lives and many damages were recorded, including in New York City with all the damages being summed up to around 50 billion dollars. The damage mostly stemmed from flooding, with additional burning afterwards to several houses in the section of Breezy Point. According to Edward Helmore (2023), in an article for The Guardian titled “Property over People?”, “Sandy grew so large in the 48 hours before landfall – with tropical storm-force winds spreading across 870 miles – that it was re-designated to a ‘superstorm’” (para.10). Hurricane Sandy left an everlasting scar on New York City, especially around the area of Rockaway Beach where most of this damage occurred. While some of the damage has already been repaired, there is still more to do. The plan, according to the US Army Corps of Engineers, is labeled the “Tentatively Selected Plan” where sea barriers and walls protect different areas in New York City. “The Tentatively Selected Plan manages coastal storm risk…that function as a system including: primary structural components consisting of storm surge barriers.” (page 2). This plan gives insight to how they can ensure the safety of citizens, while preventing the repeat of costly damages by preparing to protect the city from another destructive hurricane such as Hurricane Sandy.
Problem
The aftermath of Hurricane Sandy left a mark on housing, boardwalks, and beaches all the same. As they remade the boardwalk by Rockaway Beach, there is a major problem that lies within the reconstruction and the housing that surrounds it. Helmore explains this problem that even though funding has gone to the repair of the boardwalk and such, “All this may not be enough: the barrier island of Rockaway Beach is just three blocks wide but nine miles long, and the side facing in toward the bay has not been so lavished with attention. Should Sandy’s convergence of atmospheric and lunar forces ever be repeated…a storm surge could come from the other direction, hitting the public housing…” (para. 6). There still leaves a weak, vulnerable side, opposite to all the repairs made so far that leaves many people paranoid about the potential future of another great storm drawing closer. A similar problem lies in Manhattan “a city programme to build a barrier wall along the east side of Manhattan led to a dispute over storm protection designs for the historic East River Park…” (para, 8) These damages have also lead to another problem in ‘climate gentrification’ where housing is sold anew upon repair after a climate disaster, which in this case is Hurricane Sandy. It leaves the new housing expensive and overwhelms the common citizens while catering to the rich.
Solution
A proposal was called to action by the US army corps of engineers, using 52 billion dollars to ensure the protection of New York City from future storms and disasters. Helmore further explains this proposal, “The proposal would see a system of sea barriers and gates across the mouths of major bays and inlets along New York Harbor. It would also create a sea wall ringing Manhattan – a wall that would barricade the island against a harbor that has long defined its identity.” This proposition brings hope to a damaged New York City and its waterways and brings it back to its former glory. The US Army Corps of Engineers further elaborate on this solution, “In the instance of a large storm, storm surge barriers, navigable gates, and deployable flood barriers would help to reduce risk to vulnerable areas from flood damages relating to flooding, including the loss of human life and damage to existing infrastructure. Within areas of reduced risk are schools, parks, energy and transportation infrastructure, container and other cargo terminals, that would all see significant benefit through implementation of the study measures.” (page 3)
However, critics have voiced a different opinion where they believe this plan puts property over people, “say the cost analysis systems used by state and federal governments are skewed toward protecting property, not maximizing protection for the largest number of people, rich or poor.” (para, 14) Savitri Durkee, an activist sided with an environmental justice group, argues that the government is using so much funding for a plan that can take mere decades to finish with one solution to fix something as rapid as climate change would not work. “‘We need an adaptive model that’s re-examines the climate situation as it accelerates,” (para. 17) However, on the topic of climate change, sea level rise and coastal flooding have been a rising issue. According to “Ten Years after Sandy”, “The threats of coastal flooding are anticipated to grow significantly throughout the century as sea levels rise and global temperatures warm… Especially low-lying areas are likely to face regular or permanent flooding from high tides as sea level rise worsens. Neighborhoods particularly around Coney Island, Jamaica Bay, and the West Shore of Staten Island will be most affected by sea level rise.” The figures shown with these quotes color code the areas with future flooding as well as the estimated inches based on the tides.
However, there is a resolution for this sea level crisis. According to “Ten Years after Sandy”, it explains the vulnerability to climate change and how to counteract it, “Vulnerability to climate risks can be mitigated through a range of strategies to reduce exposure to storm surge or adapt infrastructure to better withstand the impacts of flooding—as many of the federally funded Sandy recovery and resiliency initiatives are designed to improve.“ (para. 25). Also, the EDF have made a statement stating that “there is one in four chance that Sandy’s 1/100-year event will recur once every 30 years. An 2014 army corps of engineers water resources science, engineering and coastal planning report acknowledged that the 1/100 probability model was not based on solid evidence, but for management purposes.” If the possible chance of a next hurricane that is on the same level as Hurricane Sandy, 30 years should be enough time to make vast improvements to prepare and protect New York City from flooding and more disasters.
To conclude, the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy left a huge scar on New York City and its citizens, but there is a plan to build back from the destruction and prepare for future disasters. With a plan of sea walls and barriers, they can not only protect the lives of people but also the glory that New York holds and prepare for the future flooding that is described in the sources. It will take time and funding to get all these things into order, however, the plan seems to be all organized so it will be a matter of time until it is carried out.
References
Edward H. (2023, September 19) Property over people? New York City’s $52bn plan to save itself from the sea, The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/sep/19/new-york-hurricane-sandy-flooding-plan?CMP=oth_b-aplnews_d-1
NEW YORK-NEW JERSEY HARBOR AND TRIBUTARIES COASTAL STORM RISK MANAGEMENT FEASIBILITY STUDY https://www.nan.usace.army.mil/Portals/37/NYNJHATS%20Draft%20Integrated%20Feasibility%20Report%20Tier%201%20EIS.pdf
New York City Comptroller, “Ten Years after Sandy, Barriers to Resistance” (13, October 2022)
https://comptroller.nyc.gov/reports/ten-years-after-sandy/#executive-summary
In this assignment, I have met some course learning outcomes during my writing process while also having not met some. One of them being strengthening my sources played a role in my writing process, such as paraphrasing, citing and editing. Compared to my sources, I cited my sources and quotes to bring over ideas from the source, while also editing finer parts to enhance my writing. I paraphrased my sources to make it easier to write more efficiently. For this assignment, I did use drafting, I wrote everything all in one paper and revised the details to enhance it. I also formed a stance on how the proposed solution could help and be helpful to the audience.
Writing Process
- Researching
I looked up the stats and history on Hurricane Sandy and used the sources I found
- Outlining
I outlined the paper by using the default essay paper format, first with an introduction of the history and damage, then the body paragraphs with the problem and solution then ended with the conclusion.
- Drafting
I drafted for this assignment; I wrote everything onto one paper then revised it.
- Revising
I revised my paragraphs after I finished it to make things more organized and neater by adding more sources and quotes.
Push for High-Speed Rail
By Juan, Nick, Peter
Table of Contents
Intro/Background Info Pg 1
Body Pg 1-2
Cost, Time, Materials, Labor Pg 2-3
Technical Description Pg 3-4
Counter Argument Pg 4-5
Conclusion Pg 5
Sources Cited Pg 6
Intro/Background Info
Americans have always favored traveling by air instead of rails. It’s faster, takes less time, and is more efficient than using rail. High speed rail in the United States has always been an idea, and never made a reality. Amtrak, also known as the national railroad passenger corporation, has been connecting the United States and some parts of Canada since 1971. There was a certain point in time where ridership had been declining, and as a response, Congress passed the Rail Passenger Service Act of 1971, that founded the very essence of Amtrak. “The Act allowed Amtrak to take over routes and passenger cars of dozens of railroad companies glad to be relieved of the unprofitable service” (Congressional Digest, 2001). The United States provides federal funding to Amtrak and the agency is ordering “the NextGen Acela trainsets that can operate at top speeds of 160 mph versus today’s fleet, which operates at top speeds of 150 mph” according to (Amtrak’s website 2025).
Body Paragraph
The need for high speed rail in the US has always been demanded but never developed. Other countries like China & Japan already developed bullet trains that can travel a record breaking 700 mph and up, leading the transportation revolution in the world. However, the US only has one transcontinental rail system which is Amtrak. The US has always been well known for building highways and roadways instead of building rail service, which in the end shows very well with the hundreds of interstate highways that stretch for states and the lack of public transit systems in the country with only a total of 11 transit systems in the US that have subway service. With more investments, especially into high speed rail in America, commute times would drastically change and would overall reimagine the experience of taking high speed.
Cost, Time, Materials, Labor
“HSR not only promotes the urbanization process of rural areas along the rail and creates new employment opportunities, but also restores investment quickly without causing fiscal and financial burdens” (Qizhou Hu,Siyuan Qu, 2023). Pushing and building high-speed rail can create thousands of jobs with every investment around $1 billion opening 24,000 jobs. These high-skill jobs will contribute to and help revitalize the domestic rail industry with services and transport products being supplied. High speed rail can also increase economic activity, where every dollar can create $4 in benefits economically. New bridges, revitalized tracks, and rights of way are boosting productivity business wise. These rail services will act as a way to connect America’s biggest regions and maintain productivity, competition and overall efficiency. The push for high speed rail can lower congestion on the roads with people using the trains instead. With the high cost of congestion and rising population, the congestion crisis can’t prosper unless it can be freed and that’s where the high speed rail can come in handy. The use of high speed rail can use less oil as according to the International Association of Railways, “high-speed rail is eight times more energy efficient than airplanes and four times more efficient than automobile use.” They can also improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The travel from high speed rail can prove how reliable its mobility can be delivering people town to town just as fast, if not faster than air travel speed. Not only will it benefit people who live in urban and rural areas and provide broader travel options, they can also benefit the airport and highways. The cost of these investments can be expensive, an example is the potential rail that can connect LA and Las Vegas, “Builders have officially broken ground on a new $12 billion train that could zoom travelers between Las Vegas and Los Angeles in just under two hours by the end of the decade. The new train, which is considered the first “high-speed” rail in the United States, could cut down commute time for travelers and reduce greenhouse gas emissions that would otherwise be emitted from cars and planes. Brightline, the firm responsible for the project, received $3 billion in support from the federal government as part of the 2021 bipartisan Infrastructure law” (Mark Degeurin, April 23rd 2024).
Pros:
- – Creates Jobs
- – Boosts Economy
- – Reduce Congestion
- – Improves Mobility
- – Less pollution/carbon emissions
Cons:
- – Years to complete
- – Won’t reduce congestion as much
- – High Cost/Funding
- – Infrastructure crisis
- – Less flexible
Technical Description
Passenger trains: amtrak
(Figure #2 Photo taken by Amtrak,2025)
The rolling stock of a high speed railway is very important, because it’s what passengers will be boarding on to, to travel. Making sure that the most modern passenger trains are in service as well as regular scheduled maintenance checks, allow for fast, safe and efficient service for all passengers.
Infrastructure (Tracks, Stations, Bridges):
The infrastructure is a vital part to the success of high speed rail, making sure everything is safe and efficient. For high speed rail, tracks are usually meant to be built straighter and more smooth than the usual train tracks, due to their high speeds. These can be used with concrete tiles, welded rail and ballastless tracks. Bridges,tunnels and stations are supporting factors for high speed rail by withstanding the high speeds and force from the trains, along with a safe comfortable ride for passengers all around.
Signaling System:
The signaling system is the key to make sure the ride remains safe and runs smooth by use of signaling systems and advanced control from additional power supply. These consist of radio communications, GPS, computers that monitor and control the train to prevent collisions and be on time. All these safety protocols including emergency brakes, trackside signals and learning from the past can help the train reach top speeds.
Counter Argument
While many transit advocates and local officials support the idea of having high speed rail that connects the entire northeast corridor, the secretary of transportation Sawn Duffy along with DOGE, have been looking to reduce spending in the agency as they consider turning Amtrak into a privatized company. As mentioned by the White House to The Week “Amtrak is one of several institutions, along with the U.S. Postal Service, that Musk has suggested privatizing, claiming that a national rail service is a burden on taxpayer dollars. President Donald Trump himself hasn’t spoken on the privatization issue, but this anger toward Amtrak isn’t new for his White House. Trump tried to cut federal funding for the company in half during his first administration — but it’s taken a sharper turn this time around,” said Gizmodo.” With the agency being turned into a private company, the cost amount to make repairs to aging infrastructure, purchase of new trains, and expanding service, would go up more without the support from the federal government.
Conclusion
Overall, while the United States is far behind the rest of the world in terms of building a modern high speed rail, it is not to late to start. With the development of high speed rail new job opportunities would be created, faster and more efficient travel between cities and states would be possible, and it would give Americans a faster, more cheaper alternative to tavel instead of relying on aerial travel. The demand is definitely there, all America has to do is invest.
Sources
(Justin Klawans, March 25th 2025) TheWeek: Amtrak is the latest organization under DOGE’s scrutiny https://theweek.com/politics/amtrak-doge-scrutiny
(American Public Transportation Association, 2025) Benefits of High-Speed Rail for the United States
(Randal O’Toole, April 20th 2021) Cato: The High-Speed Rail Money Sink: Why the United States Should Not Spend Trillions on Obsolete Technology
The Congressional digest, 2001-12, Vol.80 (12), p.289
https://research.ebsco.com/c/7o7b7t/viewer/pdf/fwabqiq7bf?route=details (CCNY Library)
(Qizhou Hu, Siyuan Qu, 2023) A Brief History of High-Speed Rail – (CCNY Library)
(Mark Degeurin, April 23rd 2024) Popular Science: US finally breaks ground on its first-ever high-speed rail
https://www.popsci.com/technology/high-speed-rail/
(Katharina Buchholz, April 29th, 2024) Forbes: The State Of High-Speed Rail Projects In The U.S. [Infographic]
(TraintracksHQ, 2025) How Does High Speed Rail Work? An Overview Of Components, Operations, Advantages, And Challenges
https://traintrackshq.com/how-does-high-speed-rail-work/#google_vignette
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