gowanus tunnel presentation 2009

GOWANUS TUNNEL INITIATIVE

2009 Update

1 GOWANUS COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDER GROUP

GOWANUS EXPRESSWAY

GOWANUS COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDER GROUP 2

•  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


•  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


•  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.


BACKGROUND


•  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.


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?


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


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.


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.


SELECTING A TUNNEL ALTERNATIVE


PROJECT SCHEDULE


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.


TUNNEL SELECTION CRITERIA


•  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


•  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


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

CSG / NYSDOT

OTHER EIS ALTERNATIVES


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!


RESULT: GOWANUS TUNNEL WOULD BE A

TRIPLE NET “GREEN”


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


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.


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!

–  [email protected]


gowanus tunnel presentation 2009

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