Editorial: Bloomberg rightly fights the rising tide

With barely 200 days left in his mayoralty, Michael Bloomberg has proposed what even he calls an "incredibly ambitious" plan to fortify the city against climate change and the lethal ravages of storms to come.

Pegged at an initial cost of $20 billion over the next 10 years, the plan is a mix of the practical and aspirational. Its ideas are mostly sensible and urgent -- even compelling.

But as a whole, the blueprint is fraught with unknowns.

The plan includes reassuring no-brainers like stormproofing the city's power plants, hospitals, and food and gasoline supply lines. Slightly edgier are the mayor's flood-control ideas. They call for removable barriers to protect low-lying areas like the East Harlem waterfront and lower Manhattan. Bloomberg wants a floodwall and levy system on Staten Island and dunes in the Rockaways. And yet:

How will the Bloomberg plan fit with the stormproofing strategy of the state-controlled Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which runs the city's subways, bus system, commuter rail lines and some of its vehicular tunnels?

How will it jibe with the agenda of the next mayor? At the moment the field of candidates is in double digits. While some may be eager to enact Bloomberg's legacy, others may be eager to destroy it.

How will the Bloomberg manifesto mesh with Gov. Andrew Cuomo's plans to make New York more resilient to climate change?

What about money? The mayor says the $20 billion will come in part from allocated state and federal funds and $5 billion Congress has approved. Maybe. But here's what we can take to the bank: Expenses on a project like this will grow exponentially and relentlessly. Meanwhile, the funding streams already look murky.

The good news is that the Bloomberg plan moves boldy to protect -- as premier assets -- the waterfront and nearby structures. A necklace of esplanades has recently taken shape in the city, attracting housing, workers, visitors and restaurants. Bloomberg's plan safeguards this investment.

The next mayor must make sure it doesn't blow away.