Stop "Road Diet" on WOODSTOCK AVENUE/ROUTE 4

The City Board of Highway Commissioners has voted to remove the current four traffic lanes on Woodstock Ave/ Route 4 to a 'Road Diet' which is lane changing to two through lanes with a dedicated center turn lane and bike paths along each curb.
The primary concern revolves around the reduction of thru-lanes as part of the "road diet." This change was already proven in 2014 to impede traffic fluidity and exacerbate congestion, causing frustration among drivers and deterred visitors from coming to our area with fewer thru-lanes available, there were significant traffic backups during peak hours, which lead to productivity losses for businesses and increased emissions from idling vehicles. This was done before Killington Ski Area opened for the season and without the skier traffic added to the already bottlenecked traffic jams. Businesses along Woodstock Avenue relies heavily on the skiers passing though to Killington Ski Area which is detrimental to there Business's survival.
During the 2014 "road Diet" a much higher traffic count on side streets resulted from the "road diet" trying to bypass Woodstock Avenue. The concern for a much higher number of accidents and collisions on these side streets, endangering the safety of pedestrians, cyclists, and residents in the area is a higher risk this time around. The sudden influx of traffic onto streets ill-equipped to handle it may pose a serious threat to our community's overall safety. Currently NE Elementary School, Rutland High School & Stafford Technical Ceter are all located on the side streets which effects the traffic on Woodstock Avenue.
During the 2014 "Road Diet" we also witnessed bikers still riding on the sidewalks, A MAN PUSHING A BABY IN A BABY CARRIAGE IN THE BIKE LANE, little children riding their bike in the bike lane where tractor trailers travel very frequently on this road directly right next to them.
We also witnessed Firetrucks and ambulances not able to get to the accidents due to the bottlenecked traffic. A Tractor Trailer could not get to his destination due to the traffic jams so the driver unhooked his cab and left his truck in the turning lane going to Irving Oil causing a standstill in traffic.
Additionally, it is important to note that similar attempts to implement a "road diet" in our community have been made in the past. However, these attempts were ultimately reversed due to the very concerns raised in this petition. The decision to revert these changes underscores the validity of our worries and highlights the need to REVERSE THE VOTE and take into consideration the unique characteristics and needs of our neighborhood.
Route 4 is the only direct main arteries between New York and New Hampshire which skiers travel to get to the Killington Ski area. Killington host The Womens World Cup each year with over 30,000 spectators flocking to our area and the most attended women's Aido FIS Ski World event. It is very concerning to see how this will effect one lane going to Killington on Woodstock Avenue with the added peak hours of schools. The World Cup was not part of the traffic count in 2014 because it did not start holding the tournament in Killington until 2016.
In light of the past experiences, we urge our city leaders to learn from the lessons of the past and collaborate with the community to find solutions that strike a balance between safety, traffic flow, and the overall quality of life for our residents and supporting our Businesses.