Am I the only one who finds it disturbing to call the new plan for Island Crest Way a road diet? “Road diet” seems a friendly but deceptive way to market a grand plan that, in reality, should be called “Clogged Artery.”

This is not a diet. It does not reduce traffic or congestion. In fact, it only reduces pavement — and the capacity of our community’s main artery to do its job.

There won’t be fewer cars or fewer trips up and down the Island. We still need to get around our community — to schools, to work, to sports events, to shop, to the highway. The need doesn’t diminish because the city restricts flow on ICW. True, a small amount of traffic will divert into neighborhoods or onto the Mercer Ways — both not desired outcomes. But mostly, we will all spend more time in our cars, trying to be patient, in a one-lane line for two miles behind the slowest driver who is going 25 mph.

ICW is an arterial. Its job is to get people from one end of the Island to the other and to draw traffic from the neighborhoods and East and West Mercer Way. It is noisy and busy. That’s its purpose. It is not intended to be a pleasurable walking or bicycling route.

ICW is not a neighborhood. It should not become a neighborhood street. Arterials are not “kid-friendly” streets. They are designed to carry heavy loads of traffic, quickly and efficiently. ICW, under the road diet, will do neither.

I fear this plan will be a failure for our community. But, it is a permanent fix — it will be difficult and expensive to remove when it proves unbearable.

Susan Bogert