An end to flooding woes?

From the Daily News:

A basement water pump is a necessity for many residents in Springfield Gardens and other deluge-prone areas of southeastern Queens.

That’s because black storm clouds can soon spell flooded roads and soggy cellars in that neighborhood.

“At the sign of dark skies, [residents] start the pumps,” said Springfield Gardens Taxpayer Citizens Association President Patrick Evans.

Now, the city will soon begin a $70 million plan to dredge a nearby lake and improve drainage in the low-lying area. The project, known as Phase D, is part of a long-term, $130 million effort to improve Springfield Gardens infrastructure.

A spokesman for the city Department of Environmental Protection could not say exactly when the project is supposed to start, though he said it will begin this fall. The relief plan will be performed through a partnership among various city agencies, including the DEP, Transportation and Parks departments and the Economic Development Corp.

Residents have long suffered from flooding because the neighborhood is in a low-lying area — which inhibits runoff into Jamaica Bay — and because of a lack of proper infrastructure.

This fall the city will dredge Springfield Lake and build three new storm water wetlands both upstream and downstream of the body of water, according to the DEP and the EDC. It will also install porous asphalt, plant 500 trees and extend Springfield Blvd. to 147th Ave.