Opinion: NYC Daylighting Law Would Double as Flood Protection

A traffic safety intervention could double as a flood control mechanism in New York City, write Sara Lind and Alex Morano in City Limits.

The practice known as daylighting, which prohibits parking within 20 feet of intersections to increase visibility, also creates hundreds of feet of empty curb space at each intersection. This space can be used to create ‘rain gardens,’ which absorb rainwater during storms.  “In New York City, sidewalk rain gardens hold up to 2,500 gallons of water each, and there is ample space in the 32,000 acres of roadbed to build rain gardens at scale.”

Although New York State has a law calling for universal daylighting, the law allows New York City to exempt itself. For the authors, “Intro. 1138, a City Council bill that removes New York City’s exemption from state daylighting laws, is the common-sense solution. A simple change closing the daylighting loophole unlocks curb space for rain gardens at every intersection.”

The authors assert that, with its limited space, New York City needs universal daylighting to build green infrastructure at scale.