Dear Editor,

What is going on here?

Last summer Albemarle County spent a lot of money to widen East Rio Road, presumably so that it would take more cars or faster traffic. Rio Road, of course, becomes Park Street at the county line.

Now I read that the city is going to spend a lot of money to make Park Street narrower, presumably so that it will be able to hold fewer and slower cars. Is there some arcane traffic mystique here that I don't understand? Because it seems more than a little contradictory to me.

Perhaps an explanation from the city or county planners would help. They do talk to each other, don't they?

Virginia C. Greene (letter dated November 1, 2000, received March 4, 2001).