a proposed uptown waterloo redesign

D: pic2 is my first proposal for a new uptown layout.

Ottawa is happy to cordon off entire streets against cars.
We seem to think cars hafta own the uptown.

D: the lanes are particularly narrow already.
Your first reaction may be that I removed a car lane.
I have 2 comments:
1) the diagonal-style parking portrayed doesn't result in many fewer parking spots
2) people unable to parallel park no longer hang out in the lane
3) driver side doors no longer represent a death trap for cyclist who, due to narrow lanes, already don't fit anyway and represent a traffic obstruction.
You might notice in my pretty picture that I included more bike racks.
We seem to have one on every alternating lamppost... why not every one???

http://news.therecord.com/article/297406
Business owners who hear about parking problems, I am sure, listen and say, "yeah it's a problem," instead of promoting the awful looking parking garage right behind the Royal Bank of Canada on Willis Way. I know -- I drive through the parking lots of uptown Waterloo and curse about the parking, then I remember the parking garage.

D: does anybody have a measuring tape? I'm sure those lanes are not full-width, once bad parking is considered.

www.region.waterloo.on.ca/.../0/1F5C2DEF9637004A8525707C0065B4C5
D: and you know what the feedback said?
1) 4 lanes makes traffic too fast
2) there is no green space due to space requirements of 4 lanes
3) widen the sidewalks.
D: I am personally mad about the new KPMG building cuz it blocks my sunset.
But just recessing it 10' from the street and adding tree-age would have made it much less antiseptic.
The benefits of trees for sound, light and general quality experience are huge.

So here is another proposal, based on public feedback: (see pic1)