Piedmont Park neighbors react to Monroe Drive Safe Streets project: "It's completely unsafe, and something needs to be done"

Some people who live near Piedmont Park are not happy with work just getting underway on the Monroe Drive Safe Streets project.

"It's completely unsafe, and something needs to be done. There's no question about that. The question is, what needs to be done? What is most cost efficient and what makes sense?" said Charlie Kaften, a resident.

The city said reducing the road from four lanes to three, along with other safety improvements, will help slow traffic, reduce crashes and make the corridor safer for people driving, walking and biking.

Kaften believes installing more traffic lights and pedestrian crossings would be a better solution. He also wonders whether the city should have completed the project before the planned Amsterdam Walk development, a mixed-use redevelopment near Piedmont Park.

"This makes absolutely no sense because they're going to have to repave Monroe Drive after the Amsterdam Walk thing is done. So they're going to do it twice. So that's taxpayer money that's going down the drain. There's no... it doesn't make any sense," he said.

CBS News Atlanta reached out to Atlanta DOT on Thursday, seeking comment on how it determined Monroe Drive could handle the lane reduction, whether projected traffic from the planned Amsterdam Walk development was considered and why work is moving forward before construction on the Amsterdam Walk begins.

We also asked why the city believes reducing the roadway from four lanes to three is the best approach. 

This story will be updated if Atlanta DOT responds.