A Weekend Without I-94
Regardless of how you feel about keeping or removing Interstate 94, recent closures have forced the Twin Cities to reckon with what life would be like without it. As the highway infrastructure deteriorates, these closures will likely become more frequent, with several already occurring this year and another, along the eastbound lanes from Highway 280 to Western Avenue, spanning this past weekend.
Highway closures, from short weekend maintenance to long-term disruptions like Minneapolis’ Interstate 35 and Philadelphia’s Interstate 95 bridge collapses, can teach us several things — mainly that traffic is a more malleable force than many people realize, and people make mobility decisions based on the systems and infrastructures available to them. While the recent closures didn’t impact peak commuting hours, they provide a unique opportunity for car-free advocates to understand how the city might stay moving without that stretch of highway.
In the days after I wrote this piece, the Minneapolis City Council unanimously passed a resolution to affirm support for studying additional highway removal options and called on MnDOT to address critical gaps in the Rethinking I-94 process. These include updating traffic models, enhancing community engagement, implementing anti-displacement measures and prioritizing residents’ health and well-being.
As Minneapolis takes bold steps towards reimagining highway infrastructures, these recent highway closures serve as crucial learning opportunities, showing us how our travel behavior can change as we consider a Twin Cities without the highway.
Here’s What Else I’m Reading This Month
The Minneapolis Street Grid: Explained
Naomi Schulberg’s piece explains the Minneapolis street grid by exploring the numbering and naming conventions of streets and avenues in different parts of the city, highlighting patterns and exceptions. Naomi answered many questions I’ve had about the layout of the city and incited new ones — like about Franklin avenue where I live. I’ll certainly refer back to this piece for its excellent maps as I continue to encounter new questions about the street grid.
Network Now Provides Post-Pandemic Vision for Twin Cities Transit
I love reading articles by Aaron Isaacs, the retired manager for Metro Transit, longtime Minnesota Streetcar Museum volunteer, and author. His September piece on Metro Transit’s Network Now plan unpacks a major overhaul of Twin Cities public transit in response to post-pandemic ridership changes, focusing on increased frequency, expanded coverage, and improved efficiency. The plan shifts resources from downtown commuter routes to all-day service, introduces new bus rapid transit lines, and implements a “Metro micro” system to address first-mile/last-mile issues in suburban and underserved areas.
Help to Debunk Maplewood’s Arguments Against the Purple Line
A timely piece from Tim Marino debunks arguments against the purple line in Maplewood as the city council voted to rescind support for the project. Marino discusses opposition from Maplewood’s mayor and some city council members to the proposed Purple Line Bus Rapid Transit route along White Bear Avenue, citing concerns about business disruption and low ridership projections. Marino counters these arguments by highlighting the potential benefits of the Purple Line, including increased transit access for underserved communities, improved safety on White Bear Avenue, and the stimulation of transit-oriented development.
On the Streets.mn Podcast
Host Ian R Buck drops a podcast on (or around) the 1st and 15th of each month. This month Ian’s podcast team investigated the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ new all-terrain electric wheelchairs, called “track chairs,” at 13 state parks. The podcast follows Sherry Johnson, who has a temporary disability, as she tests out a track chair at Frontenac State Park, discussing the experience of navigating the park with the system and emphasizing the importance of comprehensive planning for true inclusivity in outdoor spaces.
Coming in October
A new column is joining the Streets.mn lineup. “Street Views” will be a twice-monthly installment that raises issues relevant to Minnesotans today: transportation and land use, climate and environment, public policy and — more broadly — city life.
Look out for these stories the second and fourth week of each month.
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News & Views is Streets.mn’s newsletter, sharing exciting stories, updates and events from around the Twin Cities with the Streets.mn community! You can expect this newsletter at the end of each month.
A note from Joe: Hi, my name is Joe Harrington! I am a member of the board of directors at Streets.mn and a writer focused on transportation, environmental policy, and urban geography. I serve as the Transportation Policy and GIS coordinator at Our Streets, a community driven transportation non-profit. I’m also a big foodie, always on the hunt for a good recipe or a Twin Cities restaurant, and love to travel, swim, fish and bike.