After a year of the Underhill Avenue redesign in Prospect Heights, many residents who spoke with News 12 say they are not in favor of the changes – nor do they understand why the changes were made to begin with.

Underhill Avenue is now considered a bike boulevard and part of the city’s Open Streets program. However, some residents question what parts of the street were unsafe before the changes.

Some two-way streets are now one way and stretches of the avenue alternate directions.

There’s also protected bike lanes, and bike signs for bikers to ride along with cars.

“I don’t really understand what the vision was behind the changes to begin with,” said Chris Petrie. “To be honest, it feels less safe now than before riding my bike. Once these changes came about, it just became very confusing. There’s a two-way street sandwiched in between two one-way streets.”

Whether it’s bike lanes, or flowerpots and boulders taking up parking spaces for longtime residents, the list of concerns continue to grow.

“I have legitimately two discs in my back messed up,” said Mel Jackson, a resident of 47 years. “I have two knees that should be operated on, and I have two feet with tremendous heel problems. At 80 years old, I don’t need to be walking up the block with heavy packages. I do that now and my wife yells at me, but I say ‘what am I going to do?’ I can't park. So I double park on the corner and take two or three trips back and forth.”

Sammy Kassim, owner of Prospect Heights Deli, also sees the impact.

“A lot of deliveries come,” said Kassim. “They can’t get through…It's really terrible. Teachers, students, parents – they can’t even double park to drop kids to school and get some stuff from the store.”

In part of statement and documents News 12 received from Community Board 8, it said that the board's evaluation of the user experience has been mostly positive. Some of the concerns raised by residents were also included in their findings.

“The people that were supposed to look out for us double crossed us,” said Derwin Benoit. “And kept us out of the loop.”

At this point there’s no telling what, if any, changes could be reversed by Department of Transportation.