Thanks for posting the study; it's definitely an interesting read.
I found the section on Wacker Drive in Chicago interesting (Section 2.2, pages 8 & 9, slides 29 & 30 of pdf), as I've never heard of it before. I've always found the idea of a double-deck road to be intriguing. I also like the look of elevated freeways (I look forward to trips on the Gardiner, but I've also gotten lucky with traffic on it, for the most part
)
Section 1.1 (on page 1, slide 19 of pdf) raises some questions for me:
The construction of Quebec provincial Highway 5 and the six-lane Macdonald-Cartier Bridge across the Ottawa River in the 1960s resulted in significant increases in the number of motor vehicles on King Edward Avenue and downtown Ottawa roadways leading to Highway 417. In response to the growing demands for both cars and heavy trucks in the 1970s, plans were made for the construction of the “Vanier Arterial” that would link directly from the north end of King Edward Avenue and the off ramps from the Macdonald-Cartier Bridge, then cross east over the Rideau River and run along a former railway line to Highway 417. This controlled access roadway would offer an alternative north-south route to the King Edward Avenue and Nicholas Street Corridor for vehicles traveling between the Macdonald-Cartier Bridge and Highway 417. Federal and municipal parties involved in the construction of the “Vanier Arterial” ultimately made an agreement that trucks would be prohibited on that road; this requirement remains in force today.
The northern end of the now named Vanier Parkway, from Beechwood Avenue across the Rideau River to the bridge off ramps, was never built. It was removed from the road network plans of the former Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton as part of the 1997 Regional Official Plan as approved by the Ontario Municipal Board. As a result, the King Edward-Rideau-Waller-Nicholas (KERWN) corridor remains the main connection and truck route between Highway 417 and the Macdonald-Cartier Bridge.
1) Why are trucks prohibited on Vanier? Wouldn't it be better to have trucks on the better-designed arterial than on King Edward Ave going through the heart of the city?
2) How come the northern end of Vanier was never built? Was it simply too expensive? I don't think the current setup with St. Patrick is too bad (though keep in mind I'm judging this off only a couple days I spent in the area). But it stills seems like a shame to not finish through with the Vanier Arterial plan.