This week we asked readers their thoughts on the city Department of Transportation (DOT) plans for a “road diet” which calls for converting two-way Morris Park Avenue from a double lane to a single lane each way roadway. 

Somewhere along the line our elected officials at City Hall forgot that they serve the people. They got into office by saying that this was a tale of two cities and now it’s a tale of one city, run by a king: [Bill] de Blasio. Start listening to what the people have to say, they’re the ones that pay your salary. It’s not going to work. It didn’t work on East Tremont [Avenue]. It slows everything down. You’re really asking for trouble doing this. It pushes traffic into the side streets. It’s already a problem. If you try and get down Morris Park Avenue from White Plains Road to East 180th Street, it can take you 20 minutes. If it goes to one lane it will be even worse.
John Bonizio
Morris Park

It creates more traffic. It doesn’t make it safer. Drivers need two lanes, they need the space to go left or go right and there has to be a way for the pedestrians to cross the streets. The driver has to be in the street, so the pedestrians need to stay in the crosswalk. They are constantly eliminating space for drivers.
Gabriel Santos
Bedford Park

Being that it’s a heavily trafficked area, the residents should be taken into consideration when such things are done! Who makes these types of decisions? Obviously, no one who lives in the area. How is making two lanes into one helping? It’s causing more congestion. Anyone with half a brain can figure that out. Come on and get your act together Department of Transportation.
Michelle Clancy
Pelham Bay

Converting Morris Park Avenue into one lane definitely worsens the problem. I own the Casa Restaurant on East Tremont Avenue, and we’ve seen an increase in traffic and accidents in the area. Drivers are in their cars trying to park and there’s no room to maneuver around. Passing vehicles are crashing into vehicles that are parking and cars are not slowing down for traffic. Due to the congestion, driving conditions have worsened as traffic spreads to the backroads, where drivers are running stop signs and speeding.
Vanessa Lopez-Beltron
Throggs Neck

I think [the city] should always ask permission from the communities, because they could suffer from these decisions. It just backs up the surrounding areas and they’re crazy to do that. Who the hell is running the city? Everything is going downhill fast. Morris Park will be a total mess all the way to White Plains Road. These people in charge are all nuts.
Mary Raffa
Pelham Manor