Photo credit: Matt Lewis
It’s Hennepin Week here on streets.mn and I am here to remind you that your voice does, in fact, matter! The deadline for comments on Hennepin Reconstruction is 1/28 (that’s today!), and we need everyone who cares about building better and safer streets to submit a comment! We know the voices complaining about car storage are loud, so we need your voice, too!
We’ve heard from Chandra Lalla about how this proposed design is what the city’s policies call for, not some radical departure. We’ve heard from Katie Jones about how, contrary to the histrionics of some business owners, Hennepin doesn’t have a parking problem. We’ve heard from Sam Penders about the good things in this design, and from Doug Schairer about how successful a similar project on Bloor Street was in Toronto a few years ago. We’ve heard from Janne Flisrand about how even the new design fails to fix some of the most dangerous intersections on Hennepin Ave. And finally we have heard from Andrew Degerstrom on the lengthy process of redesigning Hennepin.
Now I’m here to tell you to take all that energy and channel it into submitting comments to the city to tell them that you want a Hennepin for People! The survey is here, and the project page with more information is here.
Tell Minneapolis Public Works that:
- The city’s own policies (Transportation Action Plan, Complete Streets Policy, and Minneapolis 2040 Plan) call for a street that puts people first.
- Hennepin as it exists now is dangerous and unpleasant for everyone, including drivers.
- Full-time bus lanes are essential on a street that’s soon to be home to the E-Line aBRT and already has very high rush hour transit mode share. The city estimates that ridership will grow 25-35% from an already high level with the addition of aBRT on the corridor.
- High quality bike facilities are a must. The Transportation Action Plan calls for a Low-Stress Bikeway on Hennepin as a part of the All Ages and Abilities Network.
- Safe streets are good for business! A safer Hennepin Ave means more people spending time and money on Hennepin Ave.
- The city cannot meet its climate goals without tackling transportation. We need a Hennepin Ave that enables people to choose climate friendly transportation options, like transit, walking, rolling, or biking.
Thank you so much in advance for your comments! Let’s make Hennepin Avenue a street for a better, more inclusive, and more climate-friendly future.