Hurricane Sandy dealt a devastating blow to transit systems in the New York metro area and revealed, once again, just how fragile and antiquated many of these systems are. Sandy also pointed up the need for New York and other coastal cities to retrofit energy systems for an era of higher seas and fiercer storms, moving power stations to higher ground.
One positive outcome of the storm would be if it focused new attention on infrastructure needs -- and generated new political will to address them in ways that help stimulate the economy.