Dueling protests over the future of Centre Street in West Roxbury

People for and against the city's plans to dramatically change the configuration of Centre Street in West Roxbury both got a chance to make their feelings known during a hot and humid rush hour.

At the Holy Name rotary, people opposed to the idea held their "Save Centre Street" signs where rush-hour motorists could ponder their meaning as they sat in traffic trying to get through the rotary.

Opponents say the "road diet" plan to restrict motor-vehicle travel to just one lane in each direction - with a third, middle lane for turns and for emergency vehicles - would destroy the neighborhood, which some say is just what people outside the neighborhood want. They say the answer is more traffic signals and better police enforcement.

At the same time, down near the post office, supporters of the proposal gathered for a walk up Centre Street towards the library and then back down Centre to Manthorne Road - about a block from the rotary - from where they returned to their starting point.

As BPD officers in cruisers - and one on foot - ran interference for them, the walkers made a point of crossing at key intersections. They argue that too many people have died or been injured on what has become a sort of mini-highway with motorists hellbent on speed no matter how many pedestrians might be trying to cross in a crosswalk.

In fact, when lead walkers got a Walk signal at Manthorne Road and people began to cross the street, a motorist on Centre heading towards Lagrange ran the light - despite the presence of a cop standing right there and more in cruisers stopped in the middle of the street - narrowly missing taking out the lead walkers.