MTR 60, The Gowanus Files

Mobilizing the Region
Issue 60 January 5, 1996

The Gowanus Files

Facing a tidal wave of criticism, NY State Dept. of Transportation's Region 11 (NYC) office has postponed public hearings scheduled for this month on the Environmental Assessment (EA) it drafted for reconstruction of the crumbling Gowanus Expressway. The project has been assailed by community leaders over the past few years, but public and official dissatisfaction has escalated markedly since this fall's publication of the seven volume EA, which described the NY DOT's long-term construction and traffic diversion plan in detail. In notifying Brooklyn elected officials of the postponement in late December, NY DOT regional director Sandra Williams wrote that "A dominant topic of discussion on the Gowanus has been the potential economic consequences to business resulting from the need to divert a portion of Expressway traffic to...local streets." In lieu of the hearings, Williams plans to meet soon with elected and business leaders to elicit reactions to a new "menu of economic mitigation actions" like "a loan fund to help tide over businesses that that may be affected."

Williams' letter also expresses an intent to compress the duration of construction as much as possible, but it does not discuss transportation policy issues relating to the project. Nonetheless, many elected leaders criticizing the Environmental Assessment requested that the DOT conduct a Major Investment Study of the Gowanus problem. That analysis would permit a wider examination of transportation in the corridor without predisposition to DOT highway widening plans. Some elected officials specifically raised the issue of better transit service in the west Brooklyn corridor.

From recent Gowanus-related correspondence:

Rep. Ed Towns and City Council Member Ken Fisher to Transportation Commissioner Daly, Dec. 4

Not only do we disagree with the EA's conclusion that the project will have "no significant impact" on the surrounding neighborhoods, we also believe the EA to be incomplete because the study fails to mention the impacts the project will have on the neighborhoods of Brooklyn Heights, Boerum Hill and Fort Greene. In addition, the study does not include a viable traffic diversion plan which will keep the traffic on the highway and off the neighborhood streets...because of the lack of community support, we strongly urge you to conduct a Major Investment Study.

State Senator Martin Connor, Assembly Member Eileen Dugan and City Council Member Stephen DiBrienza to Transportation Commissioner Daly Nov. 28.

We are convinced that the public hearings conducted by the State DOT representatives have done nothing to strengthen support for this project. In fact at each of the meetings that we or our representatives have attended, we witnessed much dissent and confusion expressed by constituents.

State Assembly Member Jules Polonetsky to Transportation Commissioner Daly Nov. 27.

As essential part of the proposed Gowanus reconstruction project calls for commuters to use public transportation to alleviate traffic congestion. However, the current state of public transportation in Bay Ridge does not invite commuters to use it as an alternative. I would suggest that some funding for the construction be used to make public transportation more attractive and accessible...If public transportation is truly to be an alternative for commuters, this project needs to include a range of service and schedule enhancements for a number of bus and subway lines.

Memo from New York City Transit to a Brooklyn community activist, Dec. 15.

Attached is a copy of a letter we sent to State DOT in April of this year requesting financial support for a subway mitigation plan that includes the introduction of F express service and extension of G service to Church Avenue. We have also mentioned this matter with DOT staff in the local office. Regrettably, for whatever reason, we have never received a response.