Oh, if they just could have seen into the future. We thought that was progress, but we also discovered that designing everything for the automobile made it very difficult for people to walk anyplace, and actually ended up being detrimental to downtown businesses. It's also a lot of money for pavement (on land that could be used for something else), a lot of radiant heat during hotter months, and a headache for storm water management when it rains or there is substantial snow melt. A 132-foot wide street may be inviting for a car, but it likely to strike fear in the hearts of potential pedestrians. Do you see any crossing signals here? It makes me wonder what we are doing now in the name of progress, that will be seen as folly in the future.
It's difficult to redesign an urban grid, but in a situation like this it could be a great opportunity. With 132 feet, you have plenty of room to add a planted center median to serve as a pedestrian refuge and also offset reflective heat from pavement. You still have plenty of room left for wide sidewalks and bike lanes.
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