Rome lawmakers want to ban traffic on busy road

Lawmakers in Rome say they want to close a major roadway in the city in an effort to curb pollution and minimize damage to monuments. A plan proposed by Rome Mayor Ignazio Marino would reduce vehicle traffic on the Via dei Fori Imperiali by 90 percent, Italy's ANSA news agency reported. Bicycles, pedestrians, emergency vehicles, buses and taxis are to be the only traffic allowed on the road that runs through a major archaeological area that includes the Colosseum, the ancient Roman Forum, and the central Piazza Venezia. "Thanks to this pedestrianization project, Via dei Fori Imperiali will become the most stunningly beautiful boulevard in the world," the City of Rome said on its project website. "Here is where it all started, and, here, today's Rome is reborn." However, some motorists are upset by the plan. "It's a mess, I don't understand anything," one said.