There’s a variety of shops that line Chili Avenue off Thurston Road, but not a lot of parking for their respective customers.

“These barriers affect more than just these people here; the driving traffic and they affect the foot traffic,” said Barry Slater, a longtime city resident. He’s referring to the many traffic barriers placed by the city — filling in between six to eight parking spaces.

“If I want to bring my wife and want to get her hair done and her nails done or whatever, I’m not bringing her here because I  don’t want to have to deal with her crossing the street or me having to park around the corner and she having to walk a country mile to get to the business.”

Other residents and shoppers, including Slater, in the neighborhood say they believe crime is the reason for the barricades — and say it has decreased over the year and in no way are these barricades benefitting these businesses.

“They impact this whole community, if there is a problem with crime around here, the city of Rochester needs to do something about it,” he said.

Those same traffic barriers on Chili Avenue are also on Dewey Avenue. Spectrum News spoke to business owners on both streets; they didn’t want to go on camera but say the concrete structures are hindering business.

“They didn’t notify us, they didn’t warn us and they didn’t tell us anything,” said Sarem Shaibi, an employee at R Pizzeria. Fawaz Munassar, the owner said, “We have nothing else. This is our only restaurant.”

The pizza shop sits on the corner of North Street. The owner says after two decades in service at the location, they never thought they would be blocked in by the tiny walls surrounding their restaurant.

“We are trying to make an honest living and they are making it difficult,” said Shaibi.

Afraid of the long-term effects, they say customers have already made calls asking if R Pizzeria is closing up shop. They also say they are losing money and the barricades draw a safety concerns.

The city did respond, saying the purpose of the so-called “traffic calming devices” is to address public safety.

The city’s communications director, Justin Roj, explains how “that maybe illegal activity, sometimes that may be traffic. It really comes from the evaluation of our Department of Environmental Services, the police department, our neighborhood service centers, as to the needs of the community.”

The city says there are many factors at play to either leave the barricades or take them away, saying sometimes it’s a temporary traffic issue and other times it’s an ongoing public safety issue.

It’s the hope of R Pizzeria and other businesses that these barricades will soon be removed.

“We certainly don’t advertise when things will be moved or removed just in case any wrong doers or anyone who wants to disobey the rules is aware that we’re going to stop our efforts,” said Roj.