Hennepin for People is a group of community members advocating for an inclusive design for the Hennepin Avenue South street reconstruction (from Lake Street to Douglas Avenue). The street was last reconstructed in 1957. According to data collected by the city, Hennepin Avenue is a high injury street. We know BIPOC communities and other marginalized populations are affected most by traffic crashes and pollution. They’re also most likely to depend on transit. We support a street design that includes 24/7 dedicated space for transit, pedestrian improvements, and a sidewalk level protected bike path.
With funding for the E Line BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) secured, this stretch of Hennepin Avenue should have dedicated transit lanes to make the most of this investment and ensure transit riders have quick and reliable service. Traveling by bus from Uptown to Downtown on bus rapid transit should actually be “rapid.” The E line BRT route, and Hennepin improvements, would also benefit transit riders outside the Uptown area trying to get to Southdale or Westgate on University Avenue. With investment in BRT infrastructure, we know ridership will grow. Protected bike paths will allow more people to have direct access to all the local businesses along the corridor; as study after study has shown, streets that are safe and comfortable to bike and walk on are better for businesses.
Our vision is a street that considers climate change in its design, reducing air, water, and noise pollution. We want a route that is safe for people who walk and use wheelchairs, for the children who attend Jefferson School, for the folks who live in the two senior high rise buildings here, for the hundreds of families who call this corridor home and the tens of thousands of people who live on and along the corridor. The Hennepin Avenue improvements we’re asking for would create not only a safer transportation corridor, but also the kind of street people want to spend their time and money.
We reached out to mayoral candidates on July 13 with a short questionnaire. Their responses are linked below.
Mayoral candidate responses:
AJ Awed
Jacob Frey (no answers received)
Kate Knuth
Sheila Nezhad
Jerrell Perry
Our thanks to all the candidates that took time to respond to our questionnaire 💛