As a recent transplant, I was anxious to begin establishing a life in Minneapolis. Prior to my move, I lived in the Highland neighborhood in Denver. Although the neighborhood was somewhat walkable and bikeable, motordom reigned supreme. The collective car-brained mindset was further exacerbated by public transit under-serving Northwest Denver. The 32 bus connected Highland to Union Station, the region’s transit hub. I remember chatting with a neighbor about the route. He was flabbergasted when I told him that it ran exactly once an hour. Apparently, it was more frequent back when he used to ride the bus.
The other buses that ran through the neighborhood like the 38, 52, 19 and 44 have thirty minutes frequency in the middle of the day then switch to once an hour outside of workday hours. The only high frequency bus route in NW Denver was the 31 which ran every fifteen minutes; the closest bus stop was a 15-minute walk away from my apartment. You can see why my car-free self-relied heavily on my trusty bike.
When I would share with folks that I had biked to an event or a business, I received blank stares or the occasional “you’re so brave for doing that” or “I could never.” Despite being perceived as a little odd for not driving everywhere within the neighborhood, I formed strong connections with the people operating the businesses I most frequented. I was a regular attendee at the seasonal clothing swap hosted by my zero waste store; the owner and I chit-chatted about sunscreen and toilet paper, the usual zero waste topics for those who aren’t familiar. I organized a social gathering at my local grocer with the help of the sweet staff. When news broke that the family running the corner banh mi store was battling racist attacks, I spearheaded a group bike ride to support them. They were targeted by ferocious people enraged by the owner’s audacity to boot their illegally parked cars. Drivers’ entitlement knows no bounds.
Although I was very excited to start anew in Minneapolis, I was intimidated by the task of getting to know my new home. Where would I start? How will I connect with people where I live?
Fortunately, I learned that I had moved to the Wedge at the perfect time. As Uptown recovers from years of Hennepin construction, there is a concerted effort within the community to uplift small, locally owned businesses. Holidays on Hennepin run from 11/28 to 12/31, and I’ve been having a wonderful time exploring using the passport as my guide. The passport has influenced me to check out businesses that I otherwise wouldn’t have.
For example, I visited Sencha, the corner tea bar on 26th Street. I was pleased that the store offered the option to bring my own container to fill up on loose leaf tea. I usually opt for a zero-waste store when buying dry goods, but it’s nice to know that I can get a wider range of tea from Sencha while honoring my low waste lifestyle (I hate taking out the trash so I do everything possible to do it less). Similarly, I’m not a big “get a coffee” person, but I happily visited Isles Bun & Coffee. To my pleasant surprise, I got a nice discount for bringing my own reusable cup.
It’s even nicer that the bike ride to the businesses is an attraction in itself. The Hennepin Avenue bike path is glorious. Every time I ride it to run an errand or to get to work, I send a gratitude to the residents, activists, city leaders, elected representatives and transportation planners who fought to make it a reality. May your socks always be dry, your pillow always cold and your buses always on time.
Speaking of buses, the opening of the E-line BRT on December 7 was so special to me. Denver did not have a BRT; the one that is currently being built on Colfax Avenue is buried under negative press, and the one planned for Federal Boulevard was forced to scale down due to the federal administration’s hostility toward sustainable transportation.
Needless to say, I was very excited when Saturday rolled around. Another passport adventure awaited me! I picked up my E-line Passport Adventure booklet (happening December 6 to 13) at the Minneapolis College, a convenient 30-second walk from the Hennepin & Spruce–Laurel stop. I rode the E-line north to Westgate where it ended. While waiting for the southbound route to begin, I got to talking to two lovely older women sitting in front of me. They shared that they began their trip at the Southdale stop, and they were spending their Saturday riding the bus in its entirety to celebrate its opening. My inner transit nerd preened.
I was on my way to watch Zootopia 2 at the Mann Theater, and I also wanted to see the entire route before the bus went southbound to my stop at France & 50th. Just two weeks before, I was stranded at the theater when the 6 bus did not show. Now, I get to take the BRT to reliably get to and from the movie theater.
I learned about the passport adventures from my research into neighborhood organizations in Uptown. When I left Denver, I was intimately familiar with the neighborhoods that made up the large quadrant northwest of Interstate 25 (the highway that literally divided the city in half). I could bike through neighborhoods and be able to name every single one. I yearn to be able to do the same here in Uptown, so I did my research.
I subscribed to newsletters and browsed social media content of LHENA, LHNA, East Isles and Whittier. I looked into the Lake Street Council and saw that they were facilitating a loyalty challenge through 12/15. At first I thought it only applied to the businesses directly on Lake St, but it turns out the challenge is intended to promote local small businesses along the Lake Street corridor which includes businesses along Hennepin Ave north of 34th St and south of Franklin Ave. Of course, I immediately submitted my receipt of a bike seat purchase from Perennial Cycle. Slowly but surely, I was building my own mental map of the city.
Arriving in Minneapolis marked my third life changing move in eight years. The two previous moves across state lines were rocky. I lacked a sense of self and belonging which made adapting to a brand new city incredibly difficult. I was determined to have a different beginning in Minneapolis, in part, because I made the intentional choice to be here for one specific reason. I was excited to live in a city run by a municipal government that cares about sustainable transportation and acknowledges it. I get to reap the benefits of the hard work of safe-streets activists and advocates who came before me across organizations like Our Streets, Move Minnesota, Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota and Streets.mn.
Unfortunately, I know what it was like to live in a city like Denver where regardless of how hard safe-streets advocates tried, their voices were suffocated by an uncaring local government that only listened to the voices of the moneyed. Toward the end of my stay in Denver, I truly felt that I would die on Denver streets if I didn’t leave. Less than a year after I wrote an editorial for the local paper pleading people in power to stand up against traffic violence, a new ghost bike was installed in my neighborhood. A hit-and-run driver had killed a 21-year-old exchange student from Turkey. He was biking on Tejon Street, a neighborhood road that was supposed to have a protected bike lane installed years ago, but the plan was scrapped when business owners bemoaned the loss of parking to the city. That could’ve been the story of Hennepin Ave if Uptown residents hadn’t organized and won; it’s also why I’m determined to make it not the reality of Lyndale Avenue by volunteering and following closely on Hennepin County’s flawed design for CR-22.
I chose my apartment in Uptown because of its proximity to the Midtown Greenway, Bryant Avenue and Hennepin Avenue. The reconstruction of Hennepin Avenue to be actively friendly to pedestrians, bikers and transit users is a major draw for me, and quite frankly, I can’t shut up about it to my family and friends. My enthusiasm is made sweeter by the knowledge of the devoted community champions who put on initiatives like Holidays on Hennepin, Passport Adventure and Lake Street Loyal. I especially want to send a special shoutout to the Holidays on Hennepin folks for including “Walk, Bike & Roll” in their “Getting Around” page. I am used to being treated like a second-class citizen for choosing to not drive; an acknowledgement that people outside of cars exist and are full participants in society means a lot to me.
I recognize the immense privilege of being able to move states and establish a new life. I also strongly urge those who are not thriving in their current environment and have the capability to move to consider doing so. With the difficult decision to let go of a place I knew intimately, I gained a new life where just maybe, I can be accepted and celebrated for my sustainable transportation choices. Thanks Minneapolis, I look forward to what’s in store for me.