"No consideration has been given to the fact that such a review would ultimately be costly and impractical, as well as increasing the time taken to complete the works themselves, further inconveniencing the very retailers they’re proclaiming to support," Mr Knights said.
He was among a series of candidates to offer sharp criticism of the political organisation’s stance, after ticket leader and mayoral candidate Jules Radich confirmed it wanted the project — budgeted at more than $28 million — reviewed and for any review to include consideration of retaining two-way traffic.
The council last year voted 9-5 to proceed with a one-way design and the project has been touted as being set to add vibrancy to the central city and improve the environment for pedestrians.
Much of the work on the first block, between Moray Pl and St Andrew St, has been completed.
Dunedin Mayor Aaron Hawkins was unimpressed about the call to change course.
"At best this is irresponsible leadership, and certainly no way to run a city," Mr Hawkins said.
"At worst it’s shallow populism, knowing full well there’s no realistic scenario where this project starts again from scratch.
"How many millions are they prepared to throw away, rebuilding the road and the intersections, because they were on the losing side of a vote?"
A member of Team Dunedin, Lynnette Scott, has called for the project to be halted and for the alternative two-way design to be adopted.
Cr Radich has said he would not want to predetermine the outcome of any review, but confirmed he believed consideration of two-way traffic should be part of any review.
The idea has some backing from another mayoral candidate, Lee Vandervis.
"I am looking forward to a return to two-way traffic and parking in George St, albeit with prettier paving," Cr Vandervis said.
The Hawkins-led council had gone against the vast majority of submissions to it about George St, as well as a petition that attracted 6500 signatures, he said.
"We need a council where some power is back with our people."
Fellow mayoral candidate Sophie Barker was firmly of the opposite view.
"For a party which has ‘better budgets’ splashed all over their advertising as part of their manifesto, attempting to add huge extra costs to ratepayers is counterintuitive," Cr Barker said.
The ticket calls itself a political organisation, rather than a party.
Cr Barker said a review would be a frivolous waste of resources, money and time, when years of work had gone into developing the plan.
The Otago Daily Times has previously asked the council if the road could realistically be made capable of sustaining two-way traffic, should the one-way traffic system not work out.
Central city plan project director Dr Glen Hazelton said in April this could have imposed an additional cost of between $7 million and $8 million.
Mayoral candidate Bill Acklin said it was all very well to call for a review, "but with what goal in mind?".
It was difficult to change council decisions once work had been contracted, he said.
City council candidate David Benson-Pope said the contract was let months ago.
"What’s more, the public response to [Team Dunedin’s] suggestion indicates the overwhelming wish of the community to get on with this long-overdue upgrade."
City council candidate Steve Walker was scathing.
"Without even factoring in the impracticality, inconvenience and stupidity of the suggestion, it's quite clearly a Trump-esque attempt to tap into the disgruntled minority who believe that Dunedin should remain a 1970s backwater, giving no regard to safety, our zero-carbon ambitions and the fact that people are the economic powerhouses of the city and not cars."
Vick Veera was one council candidate who supported a review.
Replacing underground pipes had to be done, but he did not agree with the plan for the above-ground work.
Council candidate Christine Garey said the council needed to finish the projects it started.
However, mayoral candidate Richard Seager said the George St project was "not good for cars, not good for cyclists, not good for pedestrians and not good for retailers".
There were plenty of cities in Europe with retail precincts that were carless, he said.
