On Friday, May 6, 2022, Minnesota Department of Transportation Interim Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger sent an email committing to including a highway-to-boulevard conversion in the Rethinking I-94 project alternatives. The full letter is embedded below.
This is a critically important step. Project alternatives are the different project options that MnDOT will consider as part of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process. The full list of alternatives is expected to be released in late 2022 as part of the Scoping Decision Document.
This victory is a result of the hundreds of community members who have contacted project decision makers to express their support for the Twin Cities Boulevard and a future without the highway’s harms. Thank you!
We will continue to organize until the Twin Cities Boulevard vision becomes a reality. Moving forward, it is critical that a highway-to-boulevard conversion is not just included in the project alternatives, but is given fair consideration.
The upcoming revised Purpose & Need documents are a critical test. If the documents continue to put traffic speeds above urgent community needs like reducing air pollution, improving transportation access, and advancing reparative justice, the process will be rigged against anything other than a rebuilt highway. We anticipate that the revised documents will be released in the coming weeks and respond accordingly.
Furthermore, consideration of a highway-to-boulevard conversion must include the entirety of the Twin Cities Boulevard vision. This includes placing the remaining highway land and adjacent parcels of publicly owned land in a community land trust.
Our focus continues to be on building solidarity in Minneapolis and St. Paul and telling every resident along the project corridor that they don’t have to accept the highway and its harms. A better future is possible, and it is now officially on the table for consideration.
Let’s keep the momentum going. Take action today by sending an email to decision makers, signing the petition, and door knocking with us.