William O. Douglas

“ Congress has, indeed, gone further and said that the Department of Transportation, like other federal agencies, may no longer act as engineers alone and design and construct freeways solely by engineering standards. Congress has said that ecology has become paramount and that nothing must be done by federal agencies which does ecological harm when there are alternative albeit more expensive, ways of achieving the result. ”

“ Congress has been moving with alarm against the perils of the environment. One need not be an expert to realize how awful the consequences are when urban sanctuaries are filled with structures, paved with concrete or asphalt, and converted into thoroughfares of high speed modern traffic. ”

“ The most controversial aspect of the highway design and location is that it proposes to run a massive elevated eight- and six-lane expressway through a park in San Antonio. The Brackenridge-Olmos Basin parklands is a unique park, recreational, and open spaces area. Specific land uses include the original Brackenridge Park grant, the Sunken Gardens, and adjacent outdoor amphitheater, the San Jacinto Park, the Alamo Stadium, the San Antonio Zoo, the Olmos Basin picnic area, the Franklin Fields, and numerous other parks, public and open space areas. ”

“ And in this area, I think, transportation and the activities of transportation organizations have been one of those which they have observed and which has created perhaps as much controversy and concern as any other area of the State and Federal operations.' Hearings before the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, United States Senate, 91st Cong., 1st Sess., on S. 1075, S. 237, and S. 1752, p. 76. ”