WORCESTER, Mass. — Drivers, bicyclists and city councilors are still debating whether the new layout of Mill St. in Worcester is a safe design for both cars and people riding bikes.

The new layout features one lane of traffic, a parking zone, a buffer zone and a bike lane up against the curb. Before that, Mill St. was made up of four lanes of traffic.

Some drivers say the new layout is dangerous when they exit their cars, while Alex Salcedo, who heads the Worcester chapter of MassBike, said she feels safer than ever pedaling along Mill St. 

"I cannot begin to tell you how much of a difference it has made to me and a lot of people because before that, I would have never gone on Mill St., I was afraid of literally getting killed,” she said. “So now that we have this new design there's a big difference. The feeling of, OK, I can do this and I can do it for 2.5 miles." 

City Councilor Etel Haxhiaj is in favor of the new design, but Councilor Moe Bergman is asking the city to hire an independent traffic engineer and remove the parking-protected bike lanes. Councilors are set to discuss the Mill St. layout at their next meeting.