GOWANUS TUNNEL INITIATIVE

2009 Update

1 GOWANUS COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDER GROUP

GOWANUS EXPRESSWAY

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•  Opened in 1941 as Gowanus Parkway; expanded in early 1960s.

•  Carries over 200,000 vehicles/day; a large percentage is truck traffic.

•  3.8-mile viaduct has extensive deterioration and requires annual monitoring and inspection.

•  Repair contracts have been issued annually since 1985.

•  Environmental Impact Study (EIS) underway for long-term solution.

•  Ongoing emergency repairs and installation of interim deck started in 2005; cost exceeds $½ billion. Photos courtesy NYSDOT

THE GOWANUS CORRIDOR COVERS A LOT OF GROUND

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•  Bay Ridge •  Boerum Hill •  Brooklyn Heights •  Carroll Gardens •  Cobble Hill •  Downtown Brooklyn •  DUMBO •  Dyker Heights •  Fort Greene •  Fort Hamilton •  Fulton Ferry Landing •  Gowanus •  Park Slope •  Red Hook •  Sunset Park

Map © 2009 Google

Elevated Gowanus Expressway and approaches

THE BIG PICTURE

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•  The Gowanus Expressway is a critical link in the region’s transportation infrastructure, at the hub of the regional economy.

✈EWR

✈JFK

✈LGA

JUST IN BROOKLYN:

*Population 2,508,820 †Manufacturing Output $6.354 billion/year †Wholesale Trade $11.579 billion/year †Retail Trade $10.950 billion/year

* - Census Bureau 2006 † - U.S. Economic Census 2002

Map © 2009 Google

THE BIG PICTURE

•  Pressures on obsolete infrastructure compel replacing the viaduct with a tunnel. – We need to get this right!

•  To serve this economic engine •  To serve the people who live around it

–  Its replacement must not repeat the mistakes of the past.

–  Increased development and population growth at all points along the I-278 corridor increase demand for this green solution to transportation needs and economic vitality.

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BACKGROUND

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•  1995: Environmental Assessment – no construction.

•  1997: In response to community, NYSDOT began an Environmental Impact Study (EIS).

•  Scoping document prepared

•  Regional Plan Association (RPA) proposes a tunnel

•  NYSDOT commits to studying the possibility of a tunnel

•  2001: Settlement of lawsuit by community coalition demanding Major Investment Study (MIS). Settlement requires first-ever Enhanced EIS, consideration of tunnel alternative, establishment of CSG, and funding a technical advisor to community.

We Are Here

WHY A GOWANUS TUNNEL?

•  The existing Gowanus Expressway: –  Generates high levels of pollution.

•  Pulmonary/respiratory disease in the area is far above City average.

–  Is obsolete and unsafe. •  Traffic is diverted onto local streets and is not efficiently

channeled to and from businesses in the area. –  Deters economic development. –  Divides neighborhoods. –  Adversely affects the entire I-278 corridor starting

from the Goethals Bridge to the Long Island Expressway – in effect, much of the metropolitan area.

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WHY A GOWANUS TUNNEL?

•  The impacts of the existing Gowanus are felt most in communities of color. –  This is an environmental justice and urban sustainability

issue. 97% of the goods delivered to this region come in by diesel truck and half of them are on the Gowanus.

•  So what should we do?

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CSG’s “TUNNEL VISION”

•  Transportation must be: –  Effective, efficient and safe –  Environmentally sustainable –  Flexible –  Reduce environmental impact

• Decisions must be: –  Respectful of the host communities –  Made after meaningful participation by the affected

persons –  Based on sufficient, accurate and valid traffic,

environmental, and engineering data

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BUILD A GOWANUS TUNNEL!

•  It would be built to modern engineering standards – making the road safer, diverting less traffic, improving public safety.

•  It would significantly reduce air pollution, improving public health. –  “Scrubbers” and similar technologies available today can

improve air quality.

•  It would have a useful life of at least 100 years and would have a far lower life cycle cost than any other alternative.

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BUILD A GOWANUS TUNNEL!

•  A tunnel would give a new, unparalleled opportunity for sustainable development in the Gowanus Corridor. –  Attractive for business. –  Expanded employment opportunities in the Corridor and

beyond - in particular for communities of color.

•  Only a tunnel would enable a broad, 21st Century transportation vision encompassing new mass transit options for Brooklyn and Staten Island, and bicycles.

•  Neighborhoods would be reconnected with each other and to the waterfront.

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SELECTING A TUNNEL ALTERNATIVE

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PROJECT SCHEDULE

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ORI

GIN

AL

NYSDOT – CSG meetings continue; Public Involvement

Tunnel alternative selected

Draft EIS (with air quality, traffic, noise, rights-of-way, economic analyses)

Final EIS; Record of Decision

Design Begin Tunnel (if $$$ available)

Tunnel finished!

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2013 2020/ 2022

CURR

ENT

Tunnel alternative selected

Draft EIS (with air quality, traffic, noise, rights-of-way, economic analyses)

NYSDOT-CSG meetings

TUNNEL SELECTION PROCESS

•  In 2002 – 2004, CSG and the community consultant conducted workshops in the Gowanus Corridor communities to find out what concerned residents about the Gowanus Expressway, and what they wanted to see changed.

•  Together, we developed criteria for evaluating the different tunnel alternatives, and NYSDOT adopted the community’s criteria.

•  Go to http://groups.google.com/group/gowanus-tunnel-initiative to see CSG’s Report to the Community, which discusses in detail the project and the community consultation process, and a wealth of other documents describing this process and the Gowanus Tunnel initiative.

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TUNNEL SELECTION CRITERIA

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•  CONSTRUCTION –  Construction risks –  Construction impacts –  Construction cost

•  TRAFFIC –  Displacement of through

traffic –  Impacts to local traffic during

construction –  Impacts to local traffic in final

build condition

•  ENVIRONMENTAL –  Regional and local air quality

impacts

•  LAND USE –  Permanent property takings –  Acreage of land made up or

created by tunnel –  Placement of vent buildings,

tunnel portals, etc. within proximity of sensitive sites

APPLYING THE CRITERIA

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•  NYSDOT and the CSG jointly evaluated and ranked 5 routes that passed prior screening:

–  4 NYSDOT alternatives located: –  Along the bulkhead (TB) –  1st Avenue –  2nd Avenue –  Combined 1st/2nd Avenues

–  The community-based harbor/ bulkhead alternative

•  TB scored highest in addressing temporary and permanent traffic impacts. It would have fewer vent buildings near sensitive sites and fewer construction impacts. NYSDOT

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TB (Tunnel along the Bulkhead) was the selected tunnel alternative for the DEIS, announced in April 2006.

CSG / NYSDOT

OTHER EIS ALTERNATIVES

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3. Rehab with relief viaduct

Same as #2, but with auxiliary lane provided on additional viaduct above main roadway from 65th

Street to Prospect Interchange, instead of center lane

2. Rehab with “operational

improvements” •  New deck •  Steel: replace stringers, retrofit

cap beams, complete replacement 36th to 20th Streets

•  Interchange improvements and auxiliary bus/HOV lane

1. “No Build” •  “Do nothing” alternative •  NYSDOT would continue

emergency repairs & maintenance

Images courtesy NYSDOT

SO … WHY NOT JUST KEEP THE VIADUCT?

Congestion. Environmental Justice. Public Health. Quality of Life. Public Safety.

That’s why.

•  Only a tunnel would satisfactorily address congestion. •  Only a tunnel would address the poor air quality and clean it. •  Only a tunnel would stimulate and maximize a ”green” economy

in the Gowanus Corridor. •  Only a tunnel would be both environmentally and fiscally sound.

None of the viaduct options come close!

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RESULT: GOWANUS TUNNEL WOULD BE A

TRIPLE NET “GREEN”

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The future of the Gowanus Expressway overlaps many other initiatives, among which are:

•  Congestion pricing and toll equalization issues •  Cross-Harbor Freight Tunnel

•  Incubating “green” industry in Brooklyn •  Downtown Brooklyn redevelopment

•  New residential/retail development in Gowanus Corridor •  Southern Brooklyn Transportation Investment Study (SBTIS) •  Staten Island transportation issues (Goethals Bridge, express

bus/BRT service, Verrazano-Narrows Bridge) •  Waterfront park in Sunset Park and greenways

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Map © 2009 Google

JOIN US! HELP … •  Utilize a broad spectrum of public funds wisely for an investment

with a life span of at least 100 years.

–  “More bang for the buck.”

–  The best kind of economic stimulus .

•  Open up the waterfront to positive development, consistent with community needs, that would offset capital costs.

•  Clean the air of pollution, especially particulate matter.

•  Increase efficiency and productivity throughout the Gowanus Corridor.

•  Increase green economic development.

•  Reclaim wasted and underutilized land for multiple new uses.

•  Reconnect communities along the western Brooklyn waterfront.

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JOIN US! HELP … •  Contact our elected officials!

–  Urge them to include funding for a Gowanus Tunnel – not just transportation funding but environmental and public health funding as well

–  State Assembly: Peter Abbate, Jim Brennan, Janele Hyer-Spencer, Joan Millman, Felix Ortiz, Sheldon Silver

–  State Senate: Eric Adams, Martin Golden, Velmanette Montgomery, Kevin Parker, Diane Savino, Malcolm Smith, Daniel Squadron

–  U.S. House: Yvette Clarke, Michael McMahon, Jerrold Nadler, Edolphus Towns, Nydia Velázquez, Anthony Weiner

–  U.S. Senate: Kirsten Gillibrand, Charles Schumer

–  Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Borough President Marty Markowitz

•  Get onto our e-mail list and keep informed!

–  buildthegowanustunnel@gmail.com

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