Goodnight, Irene: Update In Aftermath Of Tropical Storm

News 12 is reporting that the Belt Parkway is open with delays in certain spots, such as Pennsylvania Avenue, where flood water is being pumped off the road.

According to traffic reports, all highways are open with traffic limited to one lane in places due to storm related damage .

Subway service remains suspended while crews continue to inspect the system for any problems. Limited bus service has been restored to all five boroughs.

Con Edison is slowly bringing back electricity to customers affected by last night’s extreme weather. A dozen or so homes remain without power in Bensonhurst while approximately a hundred more are still without service in Brooklyn.

Overall, aside from ongoing problems with subways, the amount of damage was much less than expected. The Bloomberg administration’s hurricane emergency planing appears to have been an almost unanimous success, with many crediting the city for a quick and organized response to the storm.

As Irene – which was luckily downgraded to a tropical storm just before making landfall on Coney Island – continues to weaken as it moves north through New England, both residents and elected officials seem to feel as if we all have somehow dodged a bullet, whether it was aimed at our safety, or in the mayor’s case, his historical legacy.