Really? I find the Alexandra to be the only bridge of any esthetic value in Ottawa! I would replace the Macdonald-Cartier without a second thought, though.
My capital projects would be about enhancing the pedestrian experience throughout Ottawa, tying together walkable areas with walkable corridors, transit and parks.
- A sidewalk expansion program: the gradual removal and shrinking of car lanes to make room for wide sidewalks with trees, benches, patios and other amenities along main streets and throughout Downtown. Some important streets to put on diets would be Bronson, Bank (esp. in the Glebe), King Edward, Rideau and generally all streets Downtown.
- A Downtown laneway program: converting the service lanes throughout Downtown into a network of pedestrian spaces, much like the ones in the Market. It would also provide much-needed paths through the long E-W blocks downtown.
- Public Space program: Ottawa lacks public spaces in the centre of Downtown. So, a new program would encourage the creation of quality public squares on parking lots and around new buildings Downtown. Roof space could equally serve as public space: there could be parks, urban agriculture, playgrounds and restaurant patios on rooftops with connections between them.
- Downtown residential program: Build A LOT of housing downtown with quotas for affordability and families and provide incentives for everyday shops (grocery, hardware, etc.), schools and services to be built downtown. That way, we can have a downtown core which doesn't die at 6pm and which isn't just populated with people who can afford a multimillion-dollar condo on Sparks. In addition to new residential towers, there could be incentives to convert underused office space into residences (I know it isn't as simple as that, but I'm certain that it could be done).
- Completely rework certain intersections with an emphasis on pedestrians: Sussex x Rideau, Wellington x Portage, Nicholas x Mackenzie King and others.
- Create and tie together walkable areas with a network of
- Surface LRT (Aylmer, Carling, Baseline, St-Laurent, Gréber, Plateau, Mont-Bleu),
- Metro LRT (Bayshore-Orleans, Gatineau-Montreal Rd, Bank, Airport),
- O-Trains (Kanata/Nepean, Barrhaven/Jockvale, Orleans, Buckingham, Ironside)
- Regional rail (Pembroke, Arnprior/Renfrew, Casselman/Alexandria, Chelsea/Wakefield, Montebello, Smith-Falls/Perth, Carleton-Place/Almonte, Cornwall and others).
Underground platforms leading up to Union would serve as a terminus for city, regional and intercity rail on the Ontario side and would be a focal point of activity in the city. On the Gatineau side, the rail terminus would be just beside the Chaudière Falls, under the old EB Eddy Factory.
I'll have to stop there, but yes, a lot could be done around here if only we dared to think a little harder and imagine a lot more!
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