Hello Streets.mn community,
Welcome to our biweekly newsletter, delivering the latest Streets.mn news and views directly to your inbox! In each issue, our editorial team will provide ongoing stories, news, updates and event information related to Streets.mn, city life and Greater Minnesota.
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New in Streets.mn:
First-time Streets.mn contributor Ilse Griffin struck a chord with their piece ‘How Driving Less Benefits Us All.’ It made the rounds on Bluesky, sparking thoughtful comments and insights—the kind of conversation we love to see. We always hope the stories we share make an impact and inspire action.
Packed with memorable zingers, the article is ultimately a personal reflection on finding joy and community through biking, walking and transit. Trust us: you’ll want to read this one twice—and you’ll come away fired up.
Reading Ilse’s article reminded us of Danny Choma’s brilliant piece from a few weeks ago—a courageous bit of writing, full of honesty and vulnerability. It highlights the deeply personal relationship cyclists often have with their bikes, which become trusted companions and powerful symbols of how we move through the world.
Danny’s article is paired with beautiful, personal photos, where even the captions go beyond function to become meaningful parts of the story.
Bill Lindeke had a byline in Streets.mn last week with a great article celebrating the completion of new street infrastructure on Northeast Hennepin and First Avenue in Minneapolis, highlighting five major improvements: curb-separated bike lanes, a safer Fifth Street bicycle interchange, traffic calming measures, dedicated bus lanes and new sidewalks that fill long-standing gaps in pedestrian infrastructure. It’s great to see Northeast move past some, as Bill put it, pretty terrible street design of the past.
And in case you missed it last week– the Summit Avenue Regional Trail Battle Continues…
New on the Podcast
In the latest episode of the podcast, producer and host Sherry Johnson is Nerding Out on Historic Maps with Jeremy Stomberg. The team were delighted by Jeremy’s presentation at a recent Nerd Night when he took a historic map of the Twin Cities and used clues on the map to narrow down when it was produced.
A few words of Acknowledgement and Thanks
At this year’s summer picnic, we honored Managing Editor Amy Gage as she steps down after a transformative tenure at Streets.mn. Co-chair Erik Noonan thanked Amy for her dedication to elevating our journalism and building community, alongside outgoing Editor-in-Chief Micah Davidson.
Amy also took a moment to introduce incoming Managing Editor Cirien Saadeh, who couldn’t attend the event—but stay tuned, we’ll be sharing more about Cirien very soon. You can view Erik and Amy’s remarks over on our Instagram.
Thank you, Amy, for your vision, leadership and tireless work. 💛
We also want to take this opportunity to thank our outgoing editor in chief Micah Davidson who has led our editorial committee over the past year and a half. Micah joined Amy in making countless decisions that keep Streets.mn running smoothly, working with our copy editors, designing editorial processes, and helping bring Streets.mn to the next level. Micah was a joy to work with and we hope he’ll write for Streets.mn in the future as he moves forward in an urban planning role in a rural northern British Columbia community!
And special thanks to Streets.mn community members Ryan and Miriam for generously opening up the community room of their condo to host the event.
Here’s What Else We’re Reading:
And from Transportation for America, Five reasons why Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) will expire without a replacement in September 2026
Over on YouTube, Steve’s Wanderlust has a lengthy summer 2025 update on how the stations are looking on the METRO Green Line Southwest Extension.
The Star Tribune’s Uptown mapping article was pretty awesome and in case you missed it, take this opportunity to draw your
From StreetsBlog USA, Anna Zivarts explores how the past and upcoming ‘Week Without Driving’ activities are Having An Impact
Walk the Talk – Events
Walk the Talk – Events
Central Avenue Reconstruction Meetings — August 6, 7 & 8
After delaying construction by several years to align with the upcoming F Line BRT project, MnDOT has at last introduced a design proposal for Central Avenue. The current corridor is often congested and hazardous, with limited infrastructure for buses, bikes and pedestrians, and would see a comprehensive overhaul as part of the plan. The redesign includes a four-to-three lane conversion, partial dedicated bus lanes, a new bike trail, expanded medians and boulevards, dedicated turn lanes and improved pedestrian infrastructure. MnDOT is now seeking public input on the plan. Representatives will be available at the following meetings focused on the Minneapolis portion of Central Avenue:
- Wednesday, August 6, 5 to 7 p.m. — Edison High School
- Thursday, August 7, 6 to 8:30 p.m. — Logan Recreation Center
- Friday, August 8, 10 to 11:30 a.m. — Online via Zoom
You can also contact MnDOT by clicking here to share your thoughts on the project.
Imagine 6th Ave: Harrison — Saturday, August 9, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Our Streets’ series of family-friendly, visionary community gatherings returns in the Harrison neighborhood with Imagine 6th Avenue. Held at Harrison Park, the block party will feature food, music, art and community-led organizing around the future of Olson Memorial Highway, which replaced the vibrant 6th Avenue more than 80 years ago. Our Streets’ Bring Back 6th initiative is underway as the MnDOT is weighing its options for the future of Olson Memorial, with the option of reconnecting the neighborhood through a more community-friendly design.
Move Minneapolis Webinar: Riding Downtown on Transit — Wednesday, September 3, 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
With all the recent improvements and additions to transit in the Twin Cities (such as numerous new BRT lines, “Metro micro” and a new fare structure) now is a good time to familiarize (or re-familiarize!) yourself with how to navigate the evolving system. This free webinar, organized by sustainable transport advocacy group Move Minneapolis, will guide you through the new options and share everything you need to navigate the Twin Cities with confidence. Learn more and register by clicking here.
Greater Minnesota Transit Plan
If you use public transit in Greater Minnesota — be it scheduled or dial-up, fixed-route or flexible service — it may interest you to know that MnDOT is currently updating its policies, goals and strategies for both urban and rural regions via the Greater Minnesota Transit Plan. Now is your chance to share what works, what doesn’t and what changes you’d like to see. You can provide input by:
With rural transit often inconsistent and difficult to access, this is an opportunity to develop more equitable and reliable service across Greater Minnesota.
Streets.mn Readership Survey
In case you missed it, Streets.mn is currently conducting a survey to gather info about demographics and reader habits. Read more about the purpose of the survey and the ongoing efforts it supports by clicking here!
Love What We Do? We’d Love Your Help!
From now until the end of the summer, Streets.mn needs to raise at least $3,500. This critical funding will allow us to succeed at covering the untold histories of highway impacts as a part of our grant from the Minnesota Historical Society. In addition, we are hiring a new managing editor, given that Amy Gage will be retiring at the end of August; and this fall/winter we hope to put on a contributors’ workshop in Duluth.
It’s an exciting time to be a contributor and supporter of the work that Streets.mn does and the community we’re building around us.
Join us by making a sustaining donation today!
Have a great day!
-Joe, Bryan, Hawken, and the rest of the Streets.mn Editorial Committee