More than 20 roads will be evaluated for two-way traffic conversion if city council signs off on a 'priority initiative' transportation study — an issue that will no doubt be part of the election battleground

The road to the next civic election is now a two-way street battle.

A consultant report on two-way traffic potential for more than 20 streets — including major arteries like Main, Cannon and Queen — is poised to drive onto the council agenda next spring, months before city voters go to the polls.

Expect a "barn-burner" of a battle — either on the council floor or on the election trail, said Councillor Brian McHattie, a two-way traffic fan and mayoral candidate.

"I'm always surprised at how heated the debate can get," said McHattie, who tried unsuccessfully last year to fast-track delayed conversions in the downtown.

Sections of streets like Park, Hughson, King William and Caroline are still waiting on two-way facelifts that were scheduled between 2007 and 2012.

In the meantime, McHattie has teamed up with Ward 2 and 3 Councillors Jason Farr and Bernie Morelli on street "audits" for Queen and Cannon to get the ball rolling. He noted resident opinions on a two-way future often differ wildly, even within neighbourhoods.

In walking Queen Street, for example, McHattie said he has met people who have signed the online Walkable Hamilton petition asking for "complete streets," including two-way traffic, in the name of safety. But he also encountered "a lot of very organized push-back" from residents living in condominiums on a narrow section near Napier Street.

If council signs off Wednesday on the "priority initiative" to kick off a larger transportation master plan update, a consultant will evaluate more than 20 of the 90 one-way streets in the city, said transportation planning manager Alan Kirkpatrick. That includes major arteries like Main, Cannon, Wilson, Victoria and Bay.

"We thought it was important to give councillors a comprehensive analysis of what these changes could mean, rather than go at particular projects in a piecemeal fashion," he said.

Ancaster Councillor Lloyd Ferguson, a rumoured mayoral candidate, said he hopes the study supports keeping existing one-way sections of Main, King and Cannon.

"Major arteries belong to the city, not to a particular neighbourhood," he said. "A lot of cities are spending a lot of money trying to fix congestion and gridlock. We seem to be spending money doing things that will create congestion."

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Kirkpatrick said even if King and Cannon prove to be priority conversion projects, they may be put off beyond the 2015 Pan Am Games, or because of proposed LRT planning. The consultant will evaluate the streets based on a five-year priority timeline.