I'm not advocating paving everything, but the accusation that Downtown America has declined solely because streets were torn up for freeways is untrue. There were numerous socioeconomic factors that led to the decline of major US city downtown's.
Part of that Allen that was built was built through an established neighbourhood, the section between Eglinton and Roselawn certainly doesn't appear worse for wear because of the expressway. Check out streetview and try and find some decline because some of the neighbourhood was chopped away:
http://g.co/maps/vmm4v
Is Weston Road really better off having traffic funneled along it instead of along a Hwy 400 extension?
http://g.co/maps/vd7ec
Like it or not, the car exists, and unless your destination is downtown, transit is only really a viable option if you can't afford a car. Not designing the city for automobile is diverting traffic onto residential streets instead of on thoroughfares designed for the car.
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