Mayor de Blasio Previews Final Rebuilt Sections of Rockaway Boardwalk

MAYOR DE BLASIO AND LOCAL OFFICIALS PREVIEW FINAL REBUILT SECTIONS OF ROCKAWAY BOARDWALK, SET TO OPEN NEXT WEEK

Just in time for Memorial Day Weekend, all 5.5 miles of Rockaway Boardwalk are rebuilt and ready to open for the first time since Hurricane Sandy

Mayor Bill de Blasio and local officials toured the now completely rebuilt Rockaway Boardwalk today for a final check of the $341 million project before its opening on Memorial Day weekend. Completed under budget and on-time in three years, the new boardwalk sets a global standard for resilient shoreline design alongside the iconic Rockaway Beach.

This marks the first time since Hurricane Sandy struck in 2012 that the full boardwalk will be fully rebuilt and open to the public. It stretches 5.5 miles from Beach 9th Street to Beach 126th Street. Completion of the boardwalk coincides with the launch of permanent, year-round NYC Ferry service to the Rockaways earlier this month, better connecting residents to the rest of the city and strengthening the peninsula’s local economy.

The project, a partnership between NYC Parks and NYCEDC, was completed in phases, ensuring the maximum amount of accessible boardwalk at all times. In the summer of 2016, the entire stretch of the boardwalk was open for the first time since Hurricane Sandy, utilizing the old boardwalk in the area between Beach 19th Street and Beach 39th Street. Over the fall and winter, that section was reconstructed and brought up to the standard of the rest of the boardwalk.

The new boardwalk is being integrated into a multi-layered system of coastal protection that will resist future weather events and account for the long-term effects of climate change. It is constructed with a steel-reinforced concrete deck, fixed to steel pipe piles that elevate it above the 100-year flood plain. Multiple layers of protection are also being integrated into the boardwalk design, including approximately six miles of planted dunes. A concrete retaining wall is being constructed underneath the boardwalk to keep the beach’s sand in place and prevent it from entering the community. Much of the new boardwalk’s appearance – including its sand-colored decking, brightly colored ramps and designated bike lane – was decided during a series of collaborative design sessions with Rockaway residents.

As New York City’s largest beach, Rockaway attracts millions of visitors each year. Recently, the destination has become well known for its varied concessions along the boardwalk, which sell food and drinks from around the world, including Peruvian, Bolivian, Caribbean and Central Asian fare.

Due to the efficient management of the boardwalk reconstruction, the City has approximately $120 million in underrun funds. Mayor de Blasio has also committed to keep these savings in the Rockaways to continue strengthening resiliency of its neighborhoods.

NYC Parks will also host community events, free Shape Up NYC fitness classes and nature programming in the Rockaways all summer long.

Progress on citywide coastal resiliency projects

Hurricane Sandy struck New York City in October 2012, taking the lives of New Yorkers and causing $19 billion in damages and lost economic activity. It also laid bare pre-existing challenges in the city's waterfront communities and highlighted our vulnerabilities to coastal storms and rising seas. The city's climate vulnerabilities, which also include increases in heat and precipitation, are also exacerbated by other challenges, including an increasing population, aging infrastructure and rising inequality.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, it was imperative that New York City emerge a stronger and more resilient city – one that did not just prepare for the next storm, but one that invested against a wider range of threats. Through our comprehensive OneNYC climate resiliency program, the City has made considerable progress to recover from the storm and make the city ready for the future impacts of climate change.

The completion of the Rockaway Boardwalk complements many other resiliency measures already in place and underway, such as 4.2 million cubic yards of new sand placed on city beaches in Coney Island and the Rockaway Peninsula, 9.8 miles of dunes constructed across Staten Island and the rockaway peninsula, and 10,500 linear feet of upgraded bulkheads across the city. This is also supplemented by significant resiliency investments being made across the city, including $3 billion for NYCHA public housing, $1.7 billion for public hospitals, and other investments to prepare for the impacts of climate change and other 21st century threats.

To see the full list of the City's progress on its OneNYC $20 billion multilayered resiliency program, please visit our citywide resiliency map here

Rockaway Beach Boardwalk

Beach 32nd Street (Between Lemway Road and the Boardwalk)

Queens

May 19, 2017