Downtown outdoor spaces

[tomh009]

While we're at it, there's no reason for Homer Watson to be a four lane divided highway north of Ottawa, some significant reconfiguration there could free up 3.5 acres of land.  Yes, acres.

And yes, that is the land covered by half of Homer Watson from the highway interchange to Stirling...man we waste absolute GOBS of land on roads.

Homer Watson was originally envisioned in the 1960s as a four-lane arterial road, continuing through Lakeside Park and connecting to (I think) Belmont Ave (also four lanes). Fortunately, that plan was cancelled -- but that's how we were left with a short stretch of four-lane divided road. And with a light traffic volume even now, 60 years later.

Now, what could be done here fairly easily is to move all the traffic to one side, and change the other side to parkland, from Stirling to the WB expressway on-ramp, extending Mensinger Park substantially.