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Public Comment Removal, Biased Traffic and Air Quality Information Raise Concern Amongst Elected Officials
On Friday, November 8, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) held a virtual meeting of the Rethinking I-94 Policy Advisory Committee (PAC). The PAC is made up of elected officials from the communities that border the Rethinking I-94 project corridor, a 7.5-mile stretch of highway between Minneapolis and downtown Saint Paul that is up for redesign. While…
252/94 Advocacy Successfully Puts the Pressure on MnDOT and PAC Members
The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) is moving forward with destructive plans to expand Highway 252 in Brooklyn Center and Brooklyn Park, doubling traffic in environmental justice communities and demolishing dozens of homes and businesses. On Monday, October 28, MnDOT held a virtual Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) meeting for the Highway 252/I-94 expansion project. The…
MnDOT is Planning to Expand Highway 252 and Interstate 94
Highway 252, originally a local arterial road in Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center, was expanded to an expressway in the late 1980s to accommodate suburban growth and commuter traffic. This expansion and the earlier construction of I-94 disrupted community connectivity and subjected residents to poor air quality, noise pollution, and displacement. These roadways severed residential…
The Latest on the Lyndale Ave: Not Very “Livable”
Lukewarm Lyndale Ave S Reconstruction Project Options Released; Hennepin County Prioritizes Parking Over Transit and Greenspace Late last week, Hennepin County shared updated design concepts for the future of Lyndale Avenue S between Franklin and 31st Street. The three concepts, named “Blue, Purple, and Orange,” vary in their safety and accessibility for people walking, rolling,…
Gold Line Extension is a Win, Not a Rethinking I-94 Compromise
Metro Transit announced an extension of the Gold Line to Downtown Minneapolis yesterday. The Gold Line, which will open next year, was originally planned to run between Woodbury to Downtown Saint Paul. This transit win is thanks to community feedback on the Gold Line and the future of the I-94 corridor, especially Twin Cities Boulevard….
Stop the 252/94 Expansion
Tell MnDOT and your elected decision-makers that demolishing homes to increase highway lanes and pollution is unacceptable. The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) is moving forward with plans to expand Highway 252 in Brooklyn Center and Brooklyn Park. MnDOT’s proposed options would demolish dozens of homes and businesses, increase toxic pollution in communities of color, worsen safety issues…
Ask Saint Paul City Council to Pass a Rethinking I-94 Resolution
The highway’s design puts people at risk every day. Changes are long overdue, and watered-down improvements are unacceptable.
Mpls. City Council Passes Resolution Supporting Highway Removal Options for Rethinking I-94 Project
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…
Cedar-Riverside Imagines a Future without a Freeway
This past weekend, residents of the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood celebrated Imagine Cedarfest, a block party where attendees could ride a camel, climb the Southside Battle Train, and watch a wiener dog race. Additionally, neighbors gathered to learn about Twin Cities Boulevard and the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s Rethinking I-94 project. The day was pure joy activism….
“Imagine” Event Series Comes to Cedar-Riverside this Sunday
The Minnesota State Fair may be over, but there’s still festival fun to be had in Cedar-Riverside this weekend. The previous organizer of Open Streets, Our Streets, is hosting the final “Imagine” event of the season. Imagine Cedarfest will be at the intersection of Cedar and Riverside Avenue this Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5…
A critical look at U.S. DOT’s decarbonization report
Strategies to implement complete streets and reconnect communities are strong, but other strategies maintain a car-centric status quo. In July, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) released a report to Congress addressing strategies, policies, and procedures the agency and other stakeholders aim to utilize in decarbonizing the U.S. transportation system. This report arrives at a…
Imagine Eat Street Postponed Indefinitely
After a concerted recruitment effort by Our Streets and Whittier Alliance to businesses on the planned Imagine Eat Street event route, we could not attain the required 75% approval signatures for the street closure from businesses. Some businesses expressed concern about ongoing construction in Whittier and Uptown blocking car traffic and causing parking headaches. Unfortunately,…