Lyndale Ave South

is a vibrant street in South Minneapolis that many local residents and businesses call home. At Open Streets Lyndale we bring 50,000+ people out to bike, walk, roll and play on a street where folks typically would be driving. Yet on a typical day, Lyndale Avenue South isn't an easy, comfortable place to get around without a car. In fact, 3 out of the 10 most dangerous intersections in Minneapolis are on Lyndale. Given Lyndale's position as a street that connects neighborhoods, schools, parks, and businesses, we must make it a street that puts people first.

Organizing Success: 4-3 Conversion Coming in Summer 2022!

In Early Summer 2021, Hennepin County confirmed that a 4-3 conversion will happen on Lyndale Ave S. However, the public was not given details on the timeline beyond a broad 2022 timeline. Our advocacy team and volunteers organized a campaign to increase transparency around the project. Our goal was to continue contacting and putting pressure on Hennepin County decision makers until: There is a public announcement of the 4-3 conversion, the 4-3 conversion is added to the Hennepin County website, and there is an official start date (Early Spring 2022) for the project.

Each week, we announced action steps that anyone could take to urge Hennepin County and decision makers to commit to the 4-3 conversion on Lyndale Ave S. Volunteers also canvassed near the route to engage even more community members. We organized our communities to bring this project on a timeline that works for the people. Thanks to everyone's hard work, Hennepin County and Commissioner Marion Greene publicly announced the project and committed to a Summer 2022 start date.

"The 4-to-3 pilot is paired with a pavement resurfacing project, and are set to begin after July 1 next summer. The resurfacing work requires warmer temperatures which typically come after June 1. This ensures we get a quality product and our investment will last its intended life. Currently the project team is working on the details of both the re-striping and resurfacing projects; additional project information will be shared soon, as project outreach and data collection are scheduled to begin in the coming weeks and continue over the winter (2021-2022)."

- Principal Aide Elie Farhat, Office of Commissioner Marion Greene

Click here to read the full email from the Office of Commissioner Marion Greene.

The success on this County Streets for People campaign shows that community organizing works. Empowering community members to take action led to this positive outcome on Lyndale Ave S. Thank you to everyone who took action steps, volunteers, and engaged others on this project.

What Next?

Our Streets Minneapolis and communities using Lyndale Ave S look forward to this 4-3 conversion and continued improvements along the route. Our team will monitor progress on this project and work to ensure it happens on a timeline that works for the people. For now, we're directing our organizing efforts towards other Hennepin County owned streets in need of improvements.

What is a 4-3 Conversion? Why should this be on Lyndale Ave S?

A 4 to 3 conversion is a type of road safety treatment. In this treatment, Lyndale Ave S between Franklin Ave and 31st St will be converted from a four lane street to a 3 lane street with a center turn lane.

This safety treatment can have immediate benefits for pedestrians, cars, residents, and businesses along the street:

- Simpler parking: This conversion will NOT reduce parking along Lyndale. Instead, it creates buffer space between moving traffic & parked vehicles.
- Improved traffic-flow: 4-3 conversions reduce speeding and allow for more visibility when turning across lanes.
- Reduced crash rates: 3-lane roads see a 33-50% reduction in crash rates compared to 4 lane roads (Hennepin County)
- Easier business access: The improved traffic flow and comfort of crossing the street makes it easier for people to reach businesses along Lyndale.

Word on the Street

Organizing for the Lyndale Avenue S 4-3 Conversion

Earlier this month, we announced that our campaign to transform Lyndale Ave S using a 4-3 safety treatment was successful. We have heard that Hennepin County plans to carry out this conversion sometime next year. Yet, we do not have an official start date or timeline for the project.

A public start date for this project is an important step in making sure that the County is accountable to folks who live, work and play along Lyndale Ave S. While we appreciate the stated intent to carry out the project, a public commitment with a clear timeline will go a long way towards ensuring transparency and building public trust.

We did it! 4-3 conversion to happen on Lyndale Ave S

Following several months of organizing by hundreds of community members, Hennepin County Public Works has committed to carrying out a 4-3 conversion on Lyndale Ave S. This safety treatment is a short-term improvement that will help reduce traffic crashes on the corridor.

Included is a letter we sent to Hennepin County Commissioner Marion Greene to thank her for her support in making this happen. Our letter also calls on Hennepin County Public Works to commit to an early and clear timeline for this project.

At Our Streets Minneapolis, we’re calling for a short term safety treatment called a 4 to 3 conversion on Lyndale Ave S from Franklin Ave to 31st street. Here is some more information on this treatment and our stance.

Action Alert: Let's make Lyndale Ave S three lanes

Over the past year we’ve joined together with local residents and groups like Safe Streets Save Lives to call for change on Lyndale Ave S. Today we are renewing this call & we urge you to join us.

Downtown Bikeways Work Group January 2020 Update

The Downtown Bikeways Work Group came together in January for their first meeting of the year and had a packed agenda. We kicked off the meeting by talking about fun things we did over the holidays. Group members are energized after the break and excited to get back into advocacy.

There’s a lot happening in the City that we’re engaging in. Folks talked about advocacy efforts including influencing Hennepin County transportation decision-making at the Franklin Avenue Open House, and the Lyndale Avenue S Community Forum organized by Commissioner Marion Greene.

Pedestrian Work Group November 2019 Update

At their November 2019 meeting, Pedestrian Work Group members recognized the need to prioritize winter sidewalk maintenance in the 2020 City of Minneapolis budget. We support the additional resources for maintenance in the budget. Ash and Abigail Johnson, chair of the Minneapolis Pedestrian Advisory Committee met Council Member Linnea Palmisano to deliver over 300 postcards supporting improved winter sidewalk maintenance--just a fraction of the over 1,000 postcards we collected. Increased funding for winter sidewalk maintenance will likely remain in the budget--as revealed in the budget mark-up meeting December 6th.

Dangerous Intersection: Lake & Lyndale

The intersection of Lake Street W and Lyndale Avenue S had the highest total pedestrian crashes (24 crashes) according to the 2017 City of Minneapolis Pedestrian Crash Study. Lake and Lyndale is a signalized intersection with four lanes of traffic to cross on each street. (StarTribune video of the intersection). There are bus stops on all four corners serving routes 21 and 53 on Lake Street and routes 4 and 113 on Lyndale Avenue. Additionally, both Lake and Lyndale have thriving businesses and medium density housing at and near this intersection.

Photo by Janelle Nivens

All cyclists have been in the same lousy situation - scanning up and down the street for a pole or sign to lock our beloved bicycles to because there isn’t enough bike parking. It’s the worst.

That’s why cyclists rejoiced at the beginning of this summer when they discovered LynLake Brewery’s rad, new bike racks – two long racks with plenty of spots for everyone’s bike. The parking is an area that is a high-frequented spot in the City and it’s right off the Midtown Greenway.

But the most surprising part of all? The racks use street spots that are normally for car parking.

Final Hennepin-Lyndale public meeting Feb. 10

The final public meeting for the design of the Hennepin-Lyndale project is:

Tuesday, Feburary 10, 2015
Walker Art Center
Skyline Room
1750 Hennepin Avenue
Minneapolis, MN
6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.--come anytime for open house format

Details will be available on the proposed layout for the sidewalks, bikeways, and greenspace. The street layout was approved in September. Unfortunately, the details that will be presented are not yet available, so we can't share them.

Hennepin-Lyndale project moving forward with improvements

2015 will bring improvements to the Hennepin-Lyndale commons area in front of the Walker Arts Center. The City Council's Transportation and Public Works unanimously approved the proposed layout for the project on Sept. 9. It reflects a very significant improvement from the initial draft layout presented to the public back in March. You can see picture of the before and after below.

Action Alert for Hennepin-Lyndale

Note: This action alert has passed. We were successful! You can send a thank you to this same list. Council Members Lisa Goodman and Lisa Bender were the primary leaders on this and especially deserve our thanks.

Misinformed opponents want to delay action on the Hennepin-Lyndale design in hopes of more traffic lanes at the expense of everything else.

No matter where you live in the City, if you see this before 10:00am Tuesday, September 9, please send an email in support. We don't want this project delayed or potentially derailed because of this. The Transportation and Public Works Committee will vote on this shortly after that.

Progress for Hennepin-Lyndale Project? Important Public Meeting August 4th

The Hennepin Avenue-Lyndale Avenue commons area in front of the Walker Arts Center is being reconstructed in 2015. This is a great opportunity to make big improvements in the area. Our priorities for the project are:

BAC Considers Nicollet Mall And Hennepin/Lyndale Bicycle Options

At its meeting Tuesday the Engineering Subcommittee of the Minneapolis Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC) heard plans for the Hennepin Lyndale Bottleneck and the Nicollet Mall Redesign, two street makeovers that are seeing minor bicycle facility improvements.

Hennepin Lyndale Bottleneck

The City of Minneapolis received a $7.2 million grant from the federal government for a $9.1 project to improve the Hennepin Lyndale Bottleneck. Some hope for a dramatic change, but planners estimated each day 55,000 vehicles use the bottleneck going north south. Thus, they seem loath to cut down the number of lanes.

Hennepin-Lyndale project needs improvement from starting point

On March 25, the City hosted the first of three public open houses about a $9.1 million project to fully reconstruct some parts of the Hennepin-Lyndale commons area in front of the Walker Arts Center. (Picture at left shows comments from last night; image from Matt Brillhart.) The open house included significant details about the plans for the driving parts of the project, but surprising little about walking and biking improvements. (Details will be online soon; my pictures didn't turn out great.)

Tonight: Hennepin-Lyndale Avenue Project Open House

Tonight is the Hennepin-Lyndale Avenue Project Open House in the Skyline Room of the Walker Art Center. The project will reconstruct Hennepin and Lyndale from Franklin Avenue and Dunwoody Boulevard. These roads have lanes that intertwine like a pile of spaghetti and have high traffic in the tens of thousands for cyclists, pedestrians, public transit, and personal motorized vehicles.

Hennepin-Lyndale Avenue Project Open House March 25

The widest road in Minneapolis is being reconstructed next year.

Hennepin and Lyndale Avenues come together in front of the Walker Art Center in a jumble of lanes as tens of thousands of people move through every day. The City is reconstructing this stretch from Hennepin/Dunwoody to Franklin Avenue. It’s an opportunity to improve bicycling and make it safer to cross the street. The protected bike lane on the east side is very popular, but has a number of challenges.

Four reasons why I ride my bike on Lyndale Avenue

After running some errands in St. Louis Park this morning, I returned to Minneapolis to have an omelette and coffee at one of my favorite spots, a Lyn-Lake eatery that shall remain unnamed. After I finished my meal, I had a sour taste in my mouth. The food was great, but I was disturbed by a bit of anti-cyclist chatter I overheard between the servers:

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We are creating a movement to put people first on Hennepin County owned streets in Minneapolis.