COMMERCIAL STREET REBUILD NOT 'CAR-FRIENDLY' BY DESIGN?

 

Photo credit K. Shaw

VON Photo

Commercial Street Rebuild: A Street that Works Narrower than it Measures

The recent rebuild of Commercial Street has been presented as a downtown beautification and vibrancy project. But for those who actually drive and park along it, the street now feels tighter than ever. Despite the official dimensions showing little change in overall width, the removal of raised curbs and the addition of planters and flush sidewalks have effectively narrowed the usable roadway.

A Street that 'Feels' Smaller

In traditional streets, raised curbs define the carriageway. Drivers align closely to the curb, keeping parked cars tight and the travel way clear. On the rebuilt Commercial Street, those edges are gone. The new design uses flush paving and landscaped flex zones where sidewalks, rain gutters, and planters blend seamlessly into the road. The result: drivers hesitate to pull all the way over, and parked cars tend to sit farther into the travel way. This makes two-way passing feel squeezed, even though the engineering drawings still show enough width.

Real-World Evidence of a Tight Fit

This is not just a matter of perception. An experienced, seasoned driver recently clipped a side mirror while pulling out of a stall set against a light standard. When a skilled and cautious driver encounters that kind of difficulty, it points to a deeper design issue. The new tolerances are so tight that everyday use now carries a margin of error that simply did not exist before.

Traffic Calming by Design

The reality is that these changes are intentional. Urban planners know that when streets feel narrower, drivers slow down. Flush curbs, planters, and shared paving treatments send a signal that this is no longer a 'through-movement' corridor, but a pedestrian-first environment. Cars can still use the street, but they do so at the discretion of the design, not the other way around.

A Step Toward a Car-Free Core?

Commercial Street's rebuild fits a broader ideological pattern. Across North America, '15-minute city' planning concepts and car-light urban design are being pushed as the new normal. The long-term goal is to reduce, and eventually eliminate, cars from downtown cores. By making driving and parking incrementally more difficult, cities normalize the idea that downtown is no longer meant for vehicles. The Commercial Street rebuild looks very much like a transitional design, easing the way for a pedestrian-only future.

Conclusion

Commercial Street may not have technically lost width on paper, but it has lost usable space for drivers. The combination of curbless design, planters, and tight stall placement means the street now works narrower than it measures. For residents and businesses who depend on access, this should raise serious questions about whether the rebuild was truly about vibrancy—or about reshaping downtown into something where cars are no longer welcome.

VALUE FOR DOLLARS SPENT?

While the final tally is not yet in, the last number to come from city hall was $6.2 million is the cost of a project originally said to cost $4 million +/-. It has taken a year to complete what arguabgly should have been a 6 month project at best. Time will tell if these 'improvements' are improvements at all. At first glance it would appear this new dewing is going to take a lot of maintenance to keep it looking fresh.