This week, I participated in a site visit with MTA representatives at the Greystone train station in Yonkers, where we discussed the current and future resilience needs of Metro-North's Hudson Line.
Ten million Metro-North riders rely on the Hudson Line annually, plus Amtrak travelers and CSX freight carriers. However, half of its 74-mile span is now vulnerable to coastal flooding. This does not just impact day-to-day service. As made clear by the damage from Hurricane Sandy, salt water is corrosive to railway equipment. The scenario gets worse when we factor in sea level rise, which is predicted to put sections of the Hudson Line under water on a regular, if not permanent, basis by 2050.
The MTA has developed a multi-pronged plan to mitigate Hudson Line flooding in the near and mid term, and to make it more resilient to the effects of climate change in the long term. These are capital expenses that I will be advocating for in the Legislature, so that we can work to prevent prolonged disruptions, serious widespread economic harm, and the high repair costs that are inevitable when we do nothing to prevent foreseeable damage. Having focused on infrastructure and climate resilience during my years in government, I can say that this project tops my list of scale and urgency for our district and region.
To learn more, see MTA's case study: https://future.mta.info/documents/Improve_Resilience_HudsonLine_CaseStudy.pdf
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