HOW DECISIONS ARE MADE: AN INTERVIEW WITH ALBERT APPLETON ON CHANGING MINDS ABOUT THE GOWANUS EXPRESSWAY. IN: MOVING PEOPLE, GOODS, AND INFORMATION IN THE 21ST CENTURY: THE CUTTING-EDGE INFRASTRUCTURES OF NETWORKED CITIES

This chapter on decision-making and the Gowanus Expressway is from a book on moving people, goods, and information in the 21st century. The author first reviews the situation under discussion, then reprints his interview with Albert Appleton. The Gowanus Expressway, part of the Federal Interstate Highway system, moves thousands of commuters to Lower Manhattan each day, and is a major route taken by trucks moving goods into Manhattan. The Gowanus Expressway was widened into a six-lane highway in 1961, but has not received any major reconstructions since then. The author describes the various studies and community concerns that happened during a review process between 1991 and 1996, noting that the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) is now reviewing 13 different tunneling alternatives, along with three non-tunneling alternatives, one of which will be included in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), scheduled for release to the public late in 2004. The author notes that restructuring the NYSDOT process to include a full EIS and a detailed review of a Gowanus Tunnel as an alternative reflects a major change in decision making. The interview offers the account of one of the central actors who brought about that change. Albert Appleton, a mathematician and administrative lawyer by training, is now working with the Regional Plan Association (RPA) where his work focuses on innovative solutions to environmental and infrastructure problems.