[Dr Awesomesauce]

^It's not a stupid idea at all. However, the recent reading I've done suggests high streets like James are likely better off with some automobile traffic, albeit slow-moving. Think complete streets: wide sidewalks; bike lanes; two-way traffic; LRT/ buses, etc.

I do think, however, that pedestrianised zones are things we should pursue. At some point in the future, streets like James, King and King William would be good candidates for partial or complete closure for periods of time in the summer months. We've seen it with Supercrawl and the Gore, so why not take it a little farther.