ByWard Market plan needs support
On Jan. 27 city council approved a $129-million proposal to revamp the ByWard Market, which, as you'll know if you've set foot downtown in the last year, could sure use a little zip. It's a good plan, too. Rideau-Vanier Coun. Mathieu Fleury called it “worthwhile,” which is high praise indeed in a government town. However, despite approval from council, it's not entirely clear how committed we are to seeing it through. It's driving me bonkers.
We have no problem spending $112 million to upgrade three measly kilometres of suburban road in Barrhaven, or $95 million to widen a tiny, three-kilometre stretch of the Queensway for no good reason because of that thing called induced demand — that is, every time you widen a road you create more traffic, thereby negating the benefit of a wider road.
If you can call the destruction of habitat and mangling of neighbourhoods to add more asphalt a benefit, that is.
At some point, we're going to have to stop approving massive spending for roads and think about better ways to spend our shared money, for instance by providing real benefits to the largest number of people, very much including business owners, by making it more likely human beings will purchase goods and services from them. Because in case you hadn't noticed, cars are terrible customers.
Go have a look at the video accompanying the Citizen's article on the Market proposal or look at “ByWard Market” in Google Maps using the satellite view. Zoom in until you can see individual cars. Can you count how many private vehicles you can see parked there?
Now zoom in some more and try to count how many humans you can see. Good luck. It would be more accurate for the giant letters on York Street to spell #AUTOWA.
At some point we're going to have to stop approving massive spending for roads ...
And we haven't talked yet about making sure our city, the capital of all Canadians, is as spiffy as can be so that when travel is allowed again tourists will flock to us to be dazzled by something more unique and attractive than lots of asphalt.
Who ever told a visiting friend or relative:
You know what you can't miss while you're here? Never mind Parliament or tulips or BeaverTails. You have to check out this stretch of suburban road near the giant Costco. Nobody, is who.
But look at the pictures showing what a refurbished Market would look like (I especially recommend the William Street concept on page 53 of the document prepared by the city), with people mingling and trees and lots of seating and multi-purpose areas — plus shops and restaurants.
Imagine yourself bringing your guests from out of town to an accessible, person-oriented urban jewel where you can explore sights and smells without worrying about dodging cars darting out of everywhere. Doesn't that sound like a dream?
This plan has been in the works for years and it aims to ensure “the ByWard Market remains a unique, pedestrian friendly destination,” said Court Curry, manager, Right-of-Way, with the city.
The thing about friendly pedestrian destinations is that they work: people browse and buy things, laugh and play, relax and enjoy themselves. Anyone who claims we don't need that right now has no clue how to read a room.
For sure, $129 million is serious money. But for once a significant sum of money would be spent to promote human happiness and urban joy — plus significant bottom-line improvements for local merchants — instead of enriching suburban housing developers and car dealerships. It is such a no-brainer it hurts.
I have no wish to be casual about spending over $100 million in tax dollars, but if you're going to spend over $100 million in tax dollars, spend it where the highest number of people will benefit. Bonus points if those people are not sitting inside a private metal box.
Making the Market, one of our most iconic destinations, a people-friendly place, is “worthwhile” indeed.