Almost ever since, some people have said the change created more problems than it solved.

Now, city officials are again talking about reversing the traffic direction on the two heavily traveled north-south routes in Honolulu.

And people once again are saying the change may cause more problems than it would solve.

State Transportation Director Rod Haraga this week said state and city officials have resumed discussions about changing the one-way traffic patterns on the two streets. The new city administration is open to the idea, Haraga said.

Many area residents are adamantly opposed.

"There are all kinds of reasons not to do it," said Pensacola Street resident Norma Nicholl. "We say if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

The proposal is designed primarily to address an afternoon backlog of traffic as homeward-bound commuters work their way up Pi'ikoi Street, turn left onto Lunalilo Street and inch forward toward the Lunalilo Street freeway on-ramp.

Moving the afternoon traffic one block 'ewa to Pensacola Street would allow commuters to turn toward the on-ramp at a closer point, easing the pinchpoint on Lunalilo Street, supporters say.

"It makes a lot of sense. It's a project in the works," Haraga told Makiki residents at a community forum this week.

Paul Wan, Honolulu's chief traffic engineer, said the idea has been studied several times before and the city would be willing to consider the idea again if it's officially proposed.

Talk of reversing the traffic flow on the streets surfaced almost immediately after the pattern was established in 1970. A 1991 study by the O'ahu Metropolitan Planning Organization, for example, concluded that the change would "certainly" have immediate benefits on traffic flow on both main routes as well as surrounding streets.

"It's not a cheap fix, though," Wan said. Changing the traffic pattern on the two streets from the freeway to Ala Moana would cost about $800,000, Haraga said. Wan said that might just cover the planning required to make the changes.

Residents of Makiki, Ala Moana and other areas say the changes would have consequences far beyond the bottleneck near Lunalilo Street.

"Everybody focuses on the freeway backlog, but the change has broad implications for the entire area," said John Breinich, chairman of the Ala Moana/Kaka'ako Neighborhood Board. "You've got to study this very carefully before taking action."

Breinich said problems could be created by waiting cars on Pensacola Street, around the elementary school at Beretania and Pi'ikoi streets, and the Pensacola Street entrance and exit to the Ala Moana Center.

"One big thing is that people leaving the shopping center would no longer be able to head directly for the freeway," Wan said.

Nicholl said problems also would be created for thousands of people who live in the many high-rises along the two streets.

"If you change the traffic, it's going to make it harder for people to get out of their driveways. People are always saying something needs to change because of the congestion. But tell me: What place isn't congested these days? We want it left as it is."

If approved, the project would mark the second time recently that Makiki residents have been asked to sacrifice their own convenience to help speed cross-town traffic through the area.

Harada said earlier in the week that he likely will make permanent a change that closes the Lunalilo Street on-ramp in the morning to help traffic from East Honolulu flow through the area more smoothly.

Also yesterday, city officials announced that resurfacing and other repair work on Pi'ikoi Street between King Street and Matlock Avenue will resume Monday. The work is expected to be completed in June.

During the construction, one lane of Pi'ikoi will be closed between Young and Beretania Street, officials said.