As a follow up to Minneapolis 2040, the City’s comprehensive plan, a Transportation Action Plan is being drafted to guide the planning and implementation of transportation projects over the next ten years. Our Streets Minneapolis supports many parts of Minneapolis 2040 and we welcome the emphasis on building a transportation system that puts people first.
The upcoming action plan is an opportunity to design a new transportation system—one that is cleaner, more comfortable and allows people to get around our city in a variety of ways.
Here are our top priorities for what we’d like to see in the Transportation Action Plan:
- Make sure the plan results in real projects on the ground
There can often be a mismatch between well intentioned, high-level plans and what actually gets constructed, resulting in watered-down projects that don’t really work well for anyone. Ensuring that the recommendations of the plan are used in project selection, design and implementation will be key to building a transportation system that works for everyone. -
Prioritize those historically marginalized
People of color, those with disabilities, and low income earners have been left out of transportation decision-making in the past. In developing the plan, the voices of those who are currently at a disadvantage in our transportation system must be prioritized, with projects that reduce historical and current inequity being given extra weight during the selection process.
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Create a comfortable walking experience year-round throughout Minneapolis
Today, walking in Minneapolis means having to press pedestrian call buttons to get a green signal to cross the road, maneuvering dangerous and icy conditions in wintertime, and constantly navigating streets that don’t put people first. We would like the plan to truly prioritize pedestrians through a citywide network of comfortable, connected, and high-quality walking infrastructure that works year-round.
- A complete bike network that is accessible to everyone
While we’ve made good progress over the years on building out a protected bike network, we still have a long way to go. Many parts of the city lack bicycling infrastructure and even existing bike lanes can feel unsafe alongside fast-moving traffic. We would like the Transportation Action Plan to visualize and implement a network of bikeways that covers the entire city, is truly protected, and is accessible to everyone. -
Restore balance in how we divide up our streets
Our streets exist in what is known as the ‘public right of way.’ Today, the majority of the public right of way is dedicated to moving and storing cars. Using the public right of way like this is a choice. This choice comes with serious consequences like more air pollution and traffic crashes, and less transportation access for folks who bike, walk, and roll. We would like balance restored. This means making more space for walking, biking, rolling, and public transit on every city street, in addition to space for new “micro-mobility” options. Our Open Streets Minneapolis events provide a glimpse into a future where streets belong to people.
- Slow the cars
Fast moving cars on our city streets can make biking, walking, and rolling scary at times. Higher car speeds are strongly correlated with a greater risk of pedestrian injury or death. We support slowing cars through intentional street design to protect those using active transportation modes. We also would like the City to move away from using outdated methods of measuring transportation system performance such as travel delay and level of service that prioritize moving cars. Instead, we’d like the City to move towards metrics like accessibility that prioritize people.
In order for these priorities to make real change on our streets, we need folks like you to raise your voices. You can help by attending one of the City’s Transportation Action Plan Engagement meetings:
- Community Workshop Southwest | April 9th, 4 - 6 PM at Richfield Lutheran Church
- Community Workshop South | April 11th, 5 - 7 PM at the Longfellow Rec Center
- Community Workshop East | April 16th, 4 - 6 PM at the Northeast Rec Center
- Community Workshop Downtown | April 22nd, 4 - 6 PM at the Central Library
- Community Workshop North | April 24th, 5 - 7 PM at the Fairview Rec Center
There is also an online open house on April 30th from 6:30 - 7:30 PM.
Find a complete list of engagement events on the City’s Transportation Action Plan website.
Stay tuned to our blog and social media for more opportunities to get involved in shaping the Transportation Action Plan.
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