Following a week of daily cloudbursts, Shore Boulevard in Astoria appeared more like the Grand Canal in Venice, but flooding on the roadway along the western edge of Astoria Park has been an ongoing problem that appears to worsen each year.
On Friday, Councilman Costa Constantinides, who has allocated millions in funding for the park’s restoration, says it’s time for the city to address what has clearly become a public safety problem in what he often refers to as “the jewel of the neighborhood.”
“Yesterday’s torrential downpours once again transformed Shore Boulevard into a dangerous canal,” Constantinides said. “This problem has become far too common in recent years, as hotter temperatures lead to rainier summers. We shouldn’t expect Astoria residents to wade through flood water like swans going down the street.”
Constantinides is calling on multiple city agencies to join him in developing a flood remediation plan for the waterlogged stretch of roadway that curves along the East River waterfront beneath the Triborough and the Hell Gate bridges.
“Today, I’m calling on the Department of Environmental Protection, the Parks Department, the Department of Transportation and other related agencies to meet me on Shore Boulevard so we can assess this problem together, determine who is responsible, and get to work to fix it. Allowing this to continue only presents more hazards for our residents, the long-term health, and the retaining wall along the East River.”
