In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, NYC's rail system was up and running again fairly quickly, with only 19 of its rail cars damaged by the storm. By comparison, hundreds of New Jersey Transit's rail cars were damaged and months of delays ensued.
The results of a months-long investigation by WNYC/New Jersey Public Radio and The Record reveal the widly divergent ways in which New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority and New Jersey Transit planned for, and responded to, Hurricane Sandy.
Among the investigation's findings: "the fate of NJ Transit’s trains – over a quarter of the agency’s fleet - didn’t just hang on one set of wrong inputs. It followed years of missed warnings, failures to plan, and lack of coordination under Governor Chris Christie, who has expressed ambivalence about preparing for climate change while repeatedly warning New Jerseyans not to underestimate the dangers of severe storms."
"Official response to this blunder has largely stuck to one script: No one could have predicted the severity of the storm, and the yards had never flooded before," report Kate Hinds and Andrea Bernstein. "But NJ Transit’s miscalculations came even as New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority dived into climate change adaptation preparations."
FULL STORY: How New Jersey Transit Failed Sandy's Test

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Defunct Pittsburgh Power Plant to Become Residential Tower
A decommissioned steam heat plant will be redeveloped into almost 100 affordable housing units.

Trump Prompts Restructuring of Transportation Research Board in “Unprecedented Overreach”
The TRB has eliminated more than half of its committees including those focused on climate, equity, and cities.

Amtrak Rolls Out New Orleans to Alabama “Mardi Gras” Train
The new service will operate morning and evening departures between Mobile and New Orleans.
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