Will narrowing a downtown section of Yonge St. to just two lanes produce a traffic nightmare this summer? Perhaps. Yet it’s still worth trying, just as an experiment. Drivers may bluster. But it’s the only way to know whether advocates of creating more walking space here are right about its overall benefits.

The Toronto and East York community council is to consider the issue on Tuesday, with Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam pressing for a “Celebrate Yonge” street event that would close two lanes from mid-August to mid-September.

Advocates of the plan say Yonge St. doesn’t carry nearly as much traffic as a four-lane thoroughfare could — just 350 to 550 vehicles per hour, as opposed to a maximum of 1,500 per hour. So knocking out two existing lanes shouldn’t have a dire impact on drivers.

Meanwhile, sidewalks are jammed with pedestrians on downtown sections of Yonge, especially over the lunch hour and when people are walking to and from work. A relaxed, leisurely stroll is often impossible. And merchants are convinced this constricts their business opportunities.

They’re willing to try narrowing Yonge, between Gerrard and Richmond Sts., at virtually no cost to the city, mainly using planters. As well as a wider sidewalk, there would be more room for boulevard cafes. It all seems rather civilized.

While this is done, the Downtown Yonge BIA would track pedestrian volumes, retail sales and vehicle use along Yonge and surrounding streets. If the data show considerable benefit and relatively little harm, there would be a strong case for making a narrower Yonge permanent. As Wong-Tam says: “One step at a time.”

Another proposal for this route isn’t nearly as ready for debate. Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong has suggested turning Yonge and nearby Bay into complementary one-way streets. But his concept is utterly devoid of supporting data.

Minnan-Wong should follow Wong-Tam’s example and invest some serious time in preliminary study.

It’s encouraging that Yonge’s future is generating such heartfelt discussion. This is an important route in Canada’s largest city — truly Toronto’s “main street,” although going by another name. Any real effort to make it better deserves sincere consideration and, at least, a month-long experiment.