The city is on the verge of building its second downtown segregated cycling lane, this time a north-south bikeway on O'Connor St.

City staff will ask council's transportation committee for the go-ahead Wednesday.

If approved later by council, the bike lanes will eventually connect with the segregated lanes on Laurier Ave.

Here's what you need to know about the project.

The location:

O'Connor St. links the Glebe with Parliament Hill. It's a southbound one-way, arterial street through Centretown and a two-way neighbourhood street in the Glebe. The city considered using Metcalfe St. for northbound cycle traffic but decided it's best to keep both lanes on O'Connor St.

The plan:

Both the northbound and southbound bike lanes will run down the east side of O'Connor St. between Wellington St. and Pretoria Ave. Concrete curbs and bollards will separate bikes from the cars. Moving south, there will be a short transition with lanes on both sides after Pretoria Ave. before bikes and cars share the road to Fifth Ave.

Impacts to motorists:

The driving time between Wellington St. and Hwy. 417 during the afternoon peak period is expected to increase by about 2.5 minutes, with more delays at traditionally busy intersections. Street parking on the east side of O'Connor St. downtown will be removed.

Impacts to cyclists:

North-south cyclists will have a comfortable ride through the core. The bike lanes will also benefit cyclists who visit Lansdowne Park.

Cost:

It's a $4-million project. The city has $200,000 secured and will need the rest approved by council this summer in the strategic initiatives budget.

Time:

O'Connor St. is up for resurfacing in 2016. The city says it would be the best time to retrofit the street with bike infrastructure. A better timeline will be developed as staff work on detailed designs. The bikeway section between Wellington St. and Laurier Ave. will likely be built after 2017.

Consultation:

Two studies, the O'Connor St. bikeway study and Glebe neighbourhood cycling plan, informed the recommended design. Consultation has been happening since spring 2014. Dutch firm Mobycon provided a peer review of the blueprint.

Potential changes:

Staff aren't recommending the city spend $17,000 annually for winter maintenance of the bike lanes, even though the lanes will be built to accommodate snow-clearing machines. Somerset Coun. Catherine McKenney, who is otherwise in favour of the project, wants winter maintenance. If the lanes aren't cleared, winter cyclists might ride on sidewalks or the wrong side of the road, she says. Capital Coun. David Chernushenko wants traffic-calming measures on the shared portion of road in his ward.

Twitter: @JonathanWilling