A draft report commissioned by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) in response to Superstorm Sandy reads like a catalogue of every wish list item on every infrastructure advocate's agenda—from flood-specific recommendations for building storm surge barriers around New York to broader ones like improving freight infrastructure and transit connections.
The draft highlights four sectors: energy, transportation, insurance and finance. It offers many suggestions that have been put forth in the past—installing inflatable plugs for tunnels, relocating equipment to higher ground and diversifying sources of electricity. The infrastructure finance section reiterates ideas such as a state infrastructure bank, public-private partnerships and performance-based approaches to projects.