HONOLULU -- A decade's old idea of reversing Piikoi and Pensacola streets has been resurrected.

The city Transportation Department has been studying the effects of switching directions on the heavily traveled streets and is about a month away from finalizing the report.

However, the debate this time may be over, sooner than later.

KITV has learned from the city’s transportation director that the indications are that the plan could create more problems than it will solve.

“It’s going to make the area more congested and more importantly for the people who live in the area it would encourage more cut through traffic which is what we are trying to avoid.” said Transportation Director Wayne Yoshioka. “When you start analyzing access to the schools at Kaahumanu Elementary, access to McKinley High School, access to the Kaiser clinic, when you get to the detail of reversing the couplet, you have more conflicts of traffic.”

Area residents worry about just that.

“We live on the right turn, right before the freeway on ramp and personally I think it will cause a lot more traffic on our street,” said Claudeen Fears.

“Getting on the freeway is ridiculous, but I don’t know if it will work. It’s interesting, but it could be a costly experiment," according to Shayne Galardy.

Yoshioka said he expects to brief the Honolulu City Council on the report when it is released in about a month.