Local pol calls for underground wiring in Dyker Heights

Councilmember Justin Brannan on Thursday, March 22 called for all overhead power lines in Dyker Heights to be moved underground.

The newly minted councilmember’s call comes on the heels of Wednesday’s nor’easter and in memory of an accident last summer in which a mother and daughter were shocked as a result of downed wires. Since then, local merchant groups and community leaders have also called for the change.

“The heavy snow yesterday should serve as a reminder that we need to take action to protect our power lines. It’s now over five years since Superstorm Sandy and city infrastructure is still lacking, leaving us vulnerable to powerful storms,” Brannan said. “Moving the power lines underground is a common sense move that will save us time and energy, and limit the potential for trees and powerful winds knocking out power. Additionally, downed wires are a safety risk for residents and emergency responders. It’s time we get serious about preparing our neighborhood for major storms.”

Most of New York City, he said, already uses underground power lines.

“Dyker Heights and other parts of Brooklyn shouldn’t get left in the dark during bad weather,” Brannan said. “It’s 2018 and it’s time that 100 percent of New York City has underground power lines.”

The first step, the pol said, is for the city to conduct a study and determine the cost of such an upgrade.

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