Advocates Roll into New Phase of Livable Lyndale Campaign, Targeting Minneapolis City Council and Municipal Consent
Walking with signs and rolling their bikes, dozens of supporters of a Livable Lyndale crowded the sidewalks along the busy commercial corridor this weekend to demonstrate the dangers of the proposed final design for the street’s reconstruction.
In an abrupt turn from previous draft designs, Hennepin County recently released a plan for the Lyndale reconstruction that imperils people walking, biking and rolling and prioritizes a parking lane over better public transit. On Saturday, at the Stroll & Roll for a Livable Lyndale, advocates made it clear that the proposed shared use path would create conflict and discomfort for ALL users and that transit riders need dedicated bus lanes now — not promises of “transit-readiness” in the future.
They also issued a new call to action, urging community members to contact their Minneapolis City Council Members and tell them to withhold municipal consent until the design truly offers a dignified experience for people who walk, bike, roll, and take public transit on Lyndale Avenue South.
As Julie Johnson, Senior Community Organizer at Move Minnesota reminded the crowd, community members have made their demands clear to Hennepin County.
“Over the past two years, we have collected over 2,400 signatures, 1,425 postcards, and over 250 personal stories — all in support of bus and bike lanes on Lyndale Avenue South,” she said. “But Hennepin County has released a proposed final design that includes a 12-foot wide parking lane and a shared use path that would put people walking, rolling, and biking all in the same space. That’s why we’re here: to simulate the chaos and the unproductive nature of a shared use path.”
For Parker Seaman, a Livable Lyndale campaign volunteer, a shared use path takes away from the connections that can happen in such a vibrant neighborhood.
“Livable Lyndale isn’t just important to me because I believe that accessible and complete streets are important to me,” he said. “Lyndale is personal for me. My parents met at the Leaning Tower of Pizza decades ago. My second date with my partner Jen was at LynLake Brewery back in 2023. People find each other on Lyndale. But, as Julie mentioned, the proposed final design put out by the county includes a shared use path, which would force people walking, rolling, and biking to share one lane. My partner’s mom is deafblind, and a shared use path would not make Lyndale a place for her or for anyone with a disability.”
Having moved to Minnesota from Ohio for veterinary school, Sunil Kancherla got involved with the Livable Lyndale campaign because he sees the power of people coming together to make our streets safer for everyone.
“I may not live in South Minneapolis, but I regularly shop at the Wedge, will frequent Sebastian Joe’s, and meet up with friends at restaurants in the area as often as possible, even in the depths of winter — so long as the bike lanes are plowed,” he said. “It’s not perfect, but the bike network we already have is so much better than anything in Ohio; there’s been a number of pedestrian-friendly features implemented over the past years, and the aBRT network has shown a willingness to invest in transit at all levels. And there’s actual, organized advocacy working to make corridors like Lyndale more accessible to those biking, busing, and rolling.”
Unfortunately, despite years of dedicated advocacy, Hennepin County hasn’t listened. So, as MJ Carpio, Move Minnesota Executive Director, explained, the next step is to take our demands to the Minneapolis City Council.
“This county project needs to be approved by the city government in which it’s happening,” she shared. “If we withhold municipal consent, reconstruction cannot happen. So what we need to do is contact our Minneapolis City Council Members and tell them to not give municipal consent until the concept layout has a dedicated bus lane, and until the shared use path, which is a set up for absolute failure, is replaced with distinct bike and pedestrian paths.”
“Tell your City Council Member that you, as a constituent, value taking public transit, biking, walking, and rolling; value the future of our climate and our environment; and value the people who can’t be here today or speak up because they have to go to work or care for family. City Council should withhold municipal consent until Hennepin County gets this project right.”
Take action today by signing our letter and contacting your Minneapolis City Council Member (for those who live in Minneapolis)!