A digital news organization by and for Southwest Minneapolis
The City is planning to redesign and reconstruct Hennepin Ave. South between Douglas Ave. and West Lake St.in 2024. The draft design calls for two lanes for cars with a small median between, two lanes for buses (which will eventually house the E Line), two-way elevated lanes for bikes, sidewalks for pedestrians, and boulevards for lighting and trees. The plan also includes dedicated loading and parking zones in front of businesses on most blocks.
Fill out the city's survey by January 28th to tell them what you think should be done [survey]
Hennepin Ave. South Reconstruction Information [website]
"An issue that is not usually discussed is whether we need for Hennepin to remain a four lane street. It handles a huge amount of traffic coming and going from downtown and the freeway. To reduce the street to two lanes will result in congestion that will spill over onto the side streets. In this cold and dispersed city people are still going to want cars and so we need to best accommodate them. Hennepin is a vital main thoroughfare that needs to be preserved." Gary F., East Bde Maka Ska
"We need to collect data on bicycle usage of current bicycle lanes. The City has spent millions building hundreds of bike lanes that appear to be minimally used. Current temp is -11F. Why is the City and the vocal tiny minority of bicycle activists scared to collect robust data on this? Why are we not letting data and reason guide our policy making?" -Joe S.
"This design is a great start. We need our community corridors like Hennepin to put people first and that's what this design does. The current street is designed for people in cars to get to and from I-94 and is an actively unpleasant place to walk or bike. I'll be much more likely to spend time (and money!) on Hennepin after this redesign." -Matt L., South Uptown
"I'm thrilled that Hennepin will be getting a much needed redesign! We don't need a 4 lane highway running through our neighborhoods, I can't wait to be able to not have to cling onto my children for dear life as we cross the street dodging left turns and speeding vehicles en route to the grocery store, a park, or one of the many restaurants and small businesses we patronize. Also can't wait for the opportunity to sit in front of one of these establishments on wide tree lined sidewalk and watch the world go by without having to endure the sounds and smells of with 4 lanes of traffic. We can do better Hennepin and this design goes a long way to making our neighborhood safer, friendlier, and greener. As a walker, biker, and driver kudos for this drastic improvement in the public realm in our community." -Kevin O.
"This design will make Hennepin so much more accessible for handicapped and mobility challenges users! The current design barely has any curb cuts (none midblock) and barely any handicapped accessible doors at businesses. At least this design allows for more options to get around safely and will provide more options specifically for people with mobility challenges."
"Apparently the city didn't consider handicapped citizens in the no parking in front of businesses design. It's all about bike lanes in a city that has snow on the ground (and in huge mounds spilling off the curbs onto the streets ) for easily 6 months out of the year. Bike lanes taking priority over parking on the main thoroughfares seems stupid to me. So there's my big 2¢ 🙂."
"I’m so excited about the proposed Hennepin redesign! As someone who lives nearby, I’m tired of feeling unsafe when I walk, bike or drive on Hennepin. There are too many car wrecks as people treat our neighborhood street like a freeway. I want to spend more time at the restaurants and shops on Hennepin, but with its current design it’s loud and dirty. The redesign will make it a much more appealing place to visit. And on top of all that it moves our city closer to our goals for combating climate change!"
"Our main thoroughfares are the lifeblood of this cold and dispersed city. They need to be free flowing and have parking for businesses and residents. Presently Hennepin Avenue South is an important thoroughfare for traffic going to and from downtown and the freeway. The four lanes are full of cars that would otherwise clog up side streets and the available parking serves many commercial purposes. It seems that some want Hennepin to be a boutique street for the locals to enjoy with walking and bicycling. But residents will always want personal vehicles for viable transportation. The City Transportation Plan says that presently 43% of trips are in single occupant cars and that they want to reduce that to 20%. This is unrealistic and not representative of what people want. Hennepin south of Lake to 36th St. was reconstructed and is unattractive and dysfunctional. The loss of parking for the sake of a few summertime bicyclists is a real detriment. The present construction of Hennepin north of Lake developed organically and should be preserved. Hopefully the new City Council is more democratic than the last." -Gary Farland
"The current design of Hennepin is safe for no one. It’s chaotic and dangerous to drive a car on this stretch of road, and the proposed redesign will go a long way to substantially increase safety for ALL users. Let’s move forward with the plan offered and create a truly desirable street for the residents of Minneapolis." -Joe W.
"Anyone who has been in Amsterdam would laugh at the streets that our city has built to accommodate bikers. What they have done there and it makes a lot of sense is to combine the pedestrian lanes and the bike lanes and therefore save room for parking. Uptown is a hot mess because there is no where to park when shopping and eating. Somehow our city designers did not do their homework check and see how other cities have mapped out a workable grid for all involved."
"The redesign is a great start. It's exciting to see the City following the Transportation Action Plan. And there's room for improvement. Getting the intersections right—especially at Franklin and at Lake/Lagoon is what gets safely to my bookstore my doctor and my job. As proposed the project doesn't do enough to get buses through Lake/Lagoon quickly, leaving dozens of riders stranded behind a few people in their cars."
"I want a street that feels good to walk and bike on. I am much more inclined to visit local businesses when I'm walking or biking on Hennepin as it's much easier to pop in than when I'm driving. Currently Hennepin doesn't have a pleasant pedestrian/bike experience. I still drive occasionally to Hennepin businesses but don't mind if I have to walk a couple blocks. Who knows, I may end up spontaneously stopping in a business I hadn't planned to when I'm walking those blocks! Bus lanes are important too for our city to become more transit friendly and reduce car dependency. I wish we had bus lanes on Hennepin back when I was a regular route 6 rider (I'm more of a route 4 guy now!)"
"What matters to me is the impact to local businesses due to lack of parking. As a resident on Hennepin south of Lake the redesign there is a disaster."
"The Hennepin Redesign is stupid. It will just funnel even more afternoon rush hour traffic down Franklin, West LOTI, and Dean Parkway, and that is already bumper-to-bumper full 4-6 pm."
"The only case for parking preservation are anecdata from the aggrieved and those afflicted with windshield mentality. Their concerns may be sincere, but they are unfounded: multimodal access and corridors that are comfortable for pedestrians—which every customer is at the moment they enter a business—are a boon to local retail and the vibrant communities that support them. It is sensible and forward-thinking to prioritize access for people using transit and personal mobility devices like bicycles and scooters over the storage of a handful of private cars." -Jake. G.
"As someone who lives on Hennepin Avenue, I am excited to see these changes being proposed. Hennepin bears a huge traffic load and has become increasingly unsafe since I first lived in the area 17 years ago. As someone with an adult son who now works on Hennepin Ave. and relies on transit, I appreciate the thought put into the design to both help keep him safe and to curb driving in the area to help reduce fossil fuel emissions and leave some semblance of a livable planet for future generations."
"The City had developed a bad habit of completely disregarding the voices of residents and businesses affected by these projects. See the Bryant Avenue project as a prime example. Walker Methodist was completely ignored as were all of the businesses up and down the street. We were steamrolled."
"I have concerns about the process for the design? Why were the small businesses, particularly the small businesses owned by people of color and women not included in the design stages?"
"As a resident of South Minneapolis, south of 50th street, I will be much less likely to go to businesses on Hennepin Ave. My daughter's been asking to go to Namaste Cafe. Currently the parking can be a huge pain. I can't imagine what it will be like with all parking forced on to side streets and how hard that will be for the people who live on those streets. It's not practical for our family to bike there for dinner and expensive and inconvenient for all of us to take a bus. I don't go to Uptown as often as I used to either. The parking was a little bit easier when there was street parking on Hennepin and the lot at Lucia's. Now it's even more competitive. And forget taking my parents to that area. It's not friendly to older people with more limited mobility."
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