turn down town core into a pedestrian and cycle only zone!
I think we should do what many european towns have which is a down town where there is limited or no car access at all. The roads could then be paved with interlocking stone and other elements such as street cafes could be added and then pedestrians can enjoy the new space. No cars and trucks would also mean cleaner air and no need to worry about conflicts between pedestrians, cyclist, and motorist.
Making the entire downtown core pedestrian and cycle only is interesting but impractical. That said, there is room to explore opportunities for car-free and/or pedestrian priority areas within the core.