The Minneapolis City Council unanimously passed a resolution that supports highway removal options for the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s (MnDOT) Rethinking I-94 project. The resolution opposes the expansion and rebuild of the 7.5-mile stretch of interstate between Minneapolis and Saint Paul in its current state and asks that MnDOT study options that would convert the highway to an urban boulevard and repurpose land for new housing, businesses and parks.
While the project construction won’t happen for years, the future is being decided now. MnDOT must get municipal consent for whatever project option is chosen, so Minneapolis and Saint Paul leaders have input in the outcome. With most of the 7.5-mile stretch of the corridor in question being across the river, the Saint Paul City Council must pass something similar to oppose rebuilding and highway expansion. If you’re a resident of Saint Paul, email your council member and ask that they pass a Rethinking I-94 resolution.
| Mayor Melvin Carter | melvin.carter@ci.stpaul.mn.us |
| Ward 1 Council Member Anika Bowie | ward1@ci.stpaul.mn.us |
| Ward 2 Council Member Rebecca Noecker | ward2@ci.stpaul.mn.us |
| Ward 3 Council Member Saura Jost | ward3@ci.stpaul.mn.us |
| Council President Mitra Jalali | ward4@ci.stpaul.mn.us |
| Council Vice President Hwajeong Kim | ward5@ci.stpaul.mn.us |
| Ward 6 Council Member Nelsie Yang | cc-ward6@ci.stpaul.mn.us |
| Ward 7 Council Member Cheniqua Johnson | ward7@ci.stpaul.mn.us |
Sample Script:
Dear [INSERT TITLE AND NAME],
As a Saint Paul resident, I am reaching out to ask you to take action and pass a resolution stating the City’s priorities for MnDOT’s Rethinking I-94 project.
Building I-94 through our city’s neighborhoods was a generational mistake. From Rondo to Merriam Park, thousands of residents lost their homes, businesses and livelihoods. In the decades that followed, the highway has continued to divide neighborhoods and harm neighbors with noise, pollution and health disparities.
Now that the highway is breaking down, the Rethinking I-94 project is a generational opportunity to right this wrong. Our city can reimagine the highway corridor to reconnect neighborhoods, reduce pollution, grow the tax base, and create new affordable housing, small businesses and parks. We can both remove the highway and support Reconnect Rondo’s important vision of an African American Cultural Enterprise District.
Recently, the Minneapolis City Council unanimously passed a strong resolution stating the city’s updated priorities and demands for the project. This included supporting the continued study of boulevard options and asking MnDOT to change its evaluation metrics to prioritize impacts on pollution, racial equity, and economic opportunity. A similar resolution in Saint Paul would ensure that the health and wealth of Saint Paul residents, not a speedway for suburban drivers, is prioritized as MnDOT approaches key project decisions this winter. Silence in this important moment is not acceptable.
Please commit to supporting this important action.
A better future is possible.
Transportation is intersectional. Twin Cities Boulevard is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for reparative and environmental justice.