A public consultation is to be held on proposals to pedestrianise a popular cobbled street in Belfast's Cathedral Quarter.
The survey on plans for Hill Street is due to be completed "by the end of September", Infrastructure Minister John O'Dowd said.
But a DUP MLA accused the minister of "dither and delay" and claimed there was "no evidence of any real progress".
It comes after a trial scheme banning vehicles from the street during the Covid-19 pandemic ended amid a mixed response from businesses.
Read more: Belfast city centre pedestrianisation trial extended for six months
The popular nightlife area was pedestrianised alongside the adjacent Gordon Street in 2020 by then Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon in a bid to encourage walking and cycling.
But the much-publicised move petered out in subsequent months, with cars frequently spotted driving along the narrow streets without any apparent restrictions.
The Department for Infrastructure said a temporary road closure, which still gave businesses permitted access, had lasted until October 31 2020 but was not extended further.
Last year Ms Mallon said her department had sought to promote improvements on Hill Street and Gordon Street "by consensus rather than by enforcement" and officials were engaging with stakeholders.
Mr O'Dowd gave an update in response to a written Assembly question from DUP North Belfast MLA Phillip Brett.
The Sinn Féin minister said: "My department is currently engaged with key stakeholders on Hill Street via the Cathedral Quarter BID (Business Improvement District) team and proposals are currently being refined following this engagement.
"It is the intention that these proposals will then be the subject of a public consultation which is currently planned to be completed by the end of September."
Mr Brett expressed frustration over delays in the plans and other projects such as the stalled York Street Interchange scheme in North Belfast.
He said: "It's deeply disappointing that the current Infrastructure Minister appears to have adopted his predecessor's policy of dither and delay."
The MLA said that whether it was "something relatively small such as the pedestrianisation of Hill Street, or huge, regionally significant projects such as the York Street Interchange, there is no evidence of any real progress".
He added: "There are plenty of areas where the current minister could demonstrate a willingness to deliver."
Last year, the manager of Cathedral Quarter BID said businesses were divided on permanent pedestrianisation of Hill Street and Gordon Street.
Damien Corr had said some people thought there was "little or no consultation" when the trial was implemented.
"There was a split in the business community in favour and against. It seemed unlikely to us that full pedestrianisation would get agreement in the foreseeable future," he said.
But he said they were confident they could work with the Department for Infrastructure and businesses to agree a compromise, such as partial closure at weekends.
The planned consultation follows the extension for another six months of a trial pedestrianisation of Union Street, home to several popular LGBT bars in the city centre.
Earlier this year, it emerged the PSNI had asked Stormont to give police the power to hand out spot fines for cycling in pedestrian areas.
A range of new fixed penalty notices for cycling should be considered for Northern Ireland similar to those available to gardaí in the Republic, police said.
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