Belmont residents say safety changes to an intersection made by the Department of Transportation are having the opposite effect.

Bollards were installed in the middle of the Hughes and Fordham avenues intersection as part of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Vision Zero street safety initiative.

The DOT says this is to slow down cars turning at the intersection and to make the crosswalk safer for pedestrians.

But longtime resident Frank Franz says there have been more accidents since the bollards have been installed. He says the signs that are supposed to warn drivers of the poles have been knocked over from the accidents in the area.

A DOT spokesman says the department is aware of the community’s concerns and is looking to install additional signage.