The city voted to take out the bike lanes because the people wanted space to double park for quick errands, so essentially we are back to exactly what we have now, just with a few crossing bulb-outs at the corners, and our traffic lights brought 'up to code' (which I later found out meant that they will have countdown timers), and some lighting. Small improvements, but I don't know if it would be worth tens of millions of dollars of grants and bonds.

When I hear the word 'redesign' (especially for that amount of money), I was assuming a full-on redesign. Disappointed with what was presented to us, I am taking it on myself to design my ideal Washington Street. Now, I am not a traffic engineer or urban designer, just a creative citizen with an idea.

Let's come up with some requirements for our ideal Washington Street:

Safety is a priority. The street needs to be jaywalkable. There needs to be short-term grab-and-go parking spots. We should avoid bringing traffic to a complete stop at intersections. It needs to be a pleasant, people-first environment with plenty of amenities for people—like lighting, shade, and seating. We need a clearance for emergency vehicles, even during peak capacity. We must accommodate buses without impeding traffic, people, or emergency vehicles.

Without further ado, here is a top down view of a segment of my fantasy Washington Street design (created using Unity, a game engine):