Lowering the volume on Hennepin Avenue

Street perspective of businesses. People dining outside with motorcycle riding by.

Summer has us dining outside more frequently. Does anyone else have a hard time hearing what the person across the table is saying? Hennepin Avenue is loud. Really loud. That’s what happens when your neighborhood streets are designed to be mini-highways, moving lots of car traffic at high speeds. We’re fans of all the available outdoor dining options from our local businesses. A better street design for Hennepin Avenue means less noise pollution, a more pleasant place to live and spend time, and a more attractive dining experience. Loud and hostile spaces discourage people from lingering. 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.

Through the pandemic we’ve seen businesses adapting. We’ve seen parking spaces repurposed for more outdoor dining. Outdoor space has become a valued amenity. We appreciate being able to sit outside with friends to enjoy a meal together, after a year spent apart. Slower streets aren’t just safer, they’re quiet enough to have a conversation.