Mayoral hopeful Brian McHattie has reversed his controversial stance on not driving on the Red Hill Valley Parkway.

The west-end councillor, who opposed the $225-million project for environmental and financial reasons, has refused to drive on the eight-kilometre highway since it opened more than six years ago.

But in the face of community blowback, the would-be mayor says he realizes he needs to be open to other viewpoints.

McHattie, 54, quietly ended his personal boycott last month. As part of his 100 day neighbourhood tour of the city he drove south on the Red Hill to the Valley Park neighbourhood on the Mountain.

Asked if he intends to drive the road again, McHattie said, "I think so. For sure."

Since launching his mayoral campaign he's heard loud and clear most Hamiltonians firmly embrace the expressway.

"It became clear to me that as mayor of the city, it's a whole different ball game. You're no longer the ward councillor, you're representing the whole city and you have to understand all those different perspectives, which are the majority based on the feedback I was getting."

According to McHattie, his refusal to drive the Red Hill, revealed by The Spectator in January, came up frequently while canvassing. Residents pointed out the road's benefits, including economic development at business parks, better local traffic flow in the east-end, and simple convenience.

He says some accused him of being stubborn, which stung because that's not how he sees himself.

"I've always prided myself on listening and being in a position to change my position at times."

McHattie's opposition to the expressway began as a community activist and extended into 10 years as the Ward 1 councillor. He blogged about his change of direction on his campaign website back in July.

While acknowledging the critical feedback, he points out that thanks to the Red Hill opposition, the creek was redesigned for a healthier flow and fewer trees were cut down.

He also notes he's focusing on the challenges and opportunities ahead not refighting yesterday's battles.

This is probably one of those cases where a politician is damned if they do and damned if they don't.

If McHattie hadn't changed his mind he risked constantly being pilloried as a pigheaded ideologue lacking a city-wide perspective.

Now that he's recognized the need to focus on the big picture, some will accuse of him of political expediency, trimming his philosophical sails to the election's prevailing winds.

Opinions will vary but I think he deserves credit for showing both flexibility and consistency with his campaign message of job creation, being open for business, and smart growth.

There's no disputing Red Hill was a weight around McHattie's neck. I saw that firsthand when I tagged along with him the other day on a neighbourhood canvas at Mohawk and Upper Wentworth.

At the Sackville Hill Senior Centre, Sharron Jerome said McHattie seemed nice and had some good ideas. But as an area resident, she was troubled by his Red Hill stand. "We need it up here."

That's the sort of thing McHattie has been hearing since early July when he began touring Hamilton's 190 neighbourhoods to introduce himself. His pragmatic response suggests he not only knows how to listen, but also when to fish or cut bait.

So how did he feel driving Red Hill for the first time?

"Well," he laughs, "it was weird. It felt really weird."

Then he smiles and admits that a few months before intentionally driving on the parkway he accidentally drove it on his way to a community cleanup at the Devil's Punch Bowl conservation area.

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It seems he missed the Mud Street exit and rode the road to the King Street ramp.

"That was the weirdest feeling," he laughs. "I'm like, 'Oh, my God!'"

Whether it was a fluke or twist of fate, it appears to have foreshadowed his political way forward on a potentially damaging ballot box issue.