SOUTH PORTLAND — The Knightville Traffic Committee has endorsed a compromise plan to restore two-way traffic to downtown Ocean Street.

Yet even committee members who support the plan question whether it would actually work and say they are unable to back it wholeheartedly.

The plan would restore a southbound lane to the block between D and E streets by removing six parallel parking spaces from the east side of Ocean Street and replacing 14 angled parking spaces on the west side with 22 perpendicular spaces.

The committee considered a second option that would replace the 14 angled spaces with nine parallel spaces, creating a more traditional streetscape that also would restore two-way traffic, but would have parallel parking on both sides and eliminate five spaces on the block.

But it was the compromise plan that got the most votes at a recent committee meeting, even though some members remain unconvinced.

“I’m skeptical about it,” said Caroline Hendry, a Knightville resident. “I don’t know how it would work. I don’t know how safe it would be. It’s a good compromise, but my heart is really with the parallel parking.”

The City Council is expected to review the compromise plan at a Feb. 22 workshop meeting.

Conflict over the one-way section of Ocean Street has been building for three years, since the city established the one-way traffic as part of a larger road and sewerage improvement project. The goal was to preserve 15 angled or “pull-in” parking spaces for Smaha’s Legion Square Market and 13 other storefront businesses on the block.

A group of residents calling themselves The Letter Street People want city officials to undo the one-way because they say it constricts traffic flow on Ocean Street and forces vehicles onto residential side streets. The group wants the city to enforce the 2012 Comprehensive Plan Update, which clearly called for maintaining Knightville’s existing character and street patterns and discouraged the use of residential streets as shortcuts for commuter traffic.

“I wouldn’t say there’s any unanimity,” said Josh Reny, assistant city manager and economic development director. “Some like it the way it is, some think it’s creating more traffic on side streets. It’s challenging.”

Sebago Technics offered the committee three design options to consider, including one that would leave the parking and traffic pattern unchanged. Committee members voted for their first, second and third choices. The two-way option with perpendicular parking received the most votes as first choice and overall.

“The response seemed to be, if it has to change, then this would be an acceptable design,” Reny said. “People realize that Knightville is up and coming and they understand that there’s little chance that demand for parking will be decreasing.”

Committee member Paul Trusiani knows the changing landscape of the neighborhood very well. He owns two buildings at Ocean and D streets that have both commercial and residential tenants, and he lives there, too. Still, he has reservations about the compromise plan.

“The current traffic flow benefits (commercial) properties, but I think the city should be considering what benefits the overall community,” Trusiani said. “My No. 1 choice was to bring back the parallel parking, but if the compromise plan brings some level of consensus to the neighborhood, I support it.”