ichael Podgers wrote:

We envision a boulevard that runs along the western edge of the parkland instead of through the green space. We want a multimodal road (again, not a highway) with mixed-traffic lanes reduced from the current eight to two in each direction. We want to see gold standard Bus Rapid Transit built that can support local and express buses that aren’t slowed down by private vehicles.

Better Streets also wants to create bikeways built to Dutch design standards, entirely removed from vehicle traffic and safe enough for children to use, to make transportation cycling more efficient. While the Lakefront Trail, which is geared more towards recreation, would remain in its current location, the new bikeways would be located on the west side of the boulevard, providing more direct access to neighborhoods.

We also envision a boulevard with wide tree-lined sidewalks to improve the pedestrian experience. And significantly reducing the total lakefront roadway footprint will provide space for new parkland. This vision for the future will allow people to move more safely, efficiently, and sustainably than ever before.

This is not a pie-in-the-sky idea. It is a proven recipe for success. Portland turned a riverfront highway into a park decades ago. Following a 1989 earthquake, San Francisco removed the Embarcadero Freeway to build a multimodal boulevard. The road currently has wide sidewalks, plazas, light rail lines, street parking, and bike lanes. Although the former highway carried up to 100,000 vehicles a day, since its removal the number of average daily trips has dropped to fewer than 30,000 vehicles per day at the most congested intersection. This was done without decreasing the public’s ability to get around the city. In both the Portland and San Francisco examples, the cities developed a renewed relationship with their waterfronts