Supporter testimonials

My family and I love biking around the city but avoid Hennepin because of how busy the street can be. It would be wonderful if we could include some of the many shops and restaurants on Hennepin as part of our weekend biking excursions - but this can only occur if the street is made safer and more accessible to cyclists.
I love living in Minneapolis because I can safely bike to work on miles of protected greenway. But I wish that I could feel half as safe riding around in my own Ward 10, particularly to reach the many local businesses on Hennepin Ave that I patronize. The proposed redesign would be a dream come true for making our neighborhood safer, more communal, and beautiful.
When I bought a home in Minneapolis more than 20 years ago I did so because I wanted to be part of a city that values spaces intentionally designed for all. The recommended layout by the Minneapolis Public Works Department is a rare chance to shape the Hennepin corridor to do just that.
It's imperative that we take bold action on climate. We have these opportunities to rebuild our busiest corridors, neighborhoods, & destinations. If we have any hope of meeting climate goals, we have to invest in these types of changes that empower people to enjoy our neighborhoods without prioritizing cars over people.
I love visiting so many places on Hennepin Avenue, but I've always felt unsafe crossing while walking or biking. As a new parent, I'm hopeful that the redesign that prioritizes walking, biking and riding the bus so my family can visit for many years to come.
I support the proposed design of Hennepin Avenue. Key features like 24-hour dedicated bus lanes will dramatically increase the capacity in reliably bringing more people to Hennepin Ave. It's not only pro-safety and pro-environment, but also, pro-business.
Many of my favorite businesses are along Hennepin Avenue, and my daughter has a number of friends that live within a block or two. I ride my bicycle with her through Uptown and would love to be able to take more direct routes instead of zig-zagging back and forth to hit our destinations. Redesigning Hennepin for people would allow us to visit more often and feel much safer every time we do.
When I first moved to Minneapolis, I lived in Ward 7 and frequented restaurants and businesses on Hennepin. But now with kids, biking isn’t the safest in and around Hennepin. I’m excited the plans allow my children and I the ability to bike safely and spend more time at Hennepin businesses that I miss. Further, this plan is needed for our collective climate future.
I take my dog Penny to visit friends and eat outdoors at restaurants along Hennepin Avenue. When I drive, I can always find free side-street or lot parking within a block of my destination. I want Hennepin to be safer, quieter, and less polluted for everyone who uses it!
This redesign is future-focused and people friendly. It takes into account climate change by adding dedicated bus lanes, a separate bikeway, safer crosswalks, and air-cleaning trees. It improves traffic flow with new medians and left-turn lanes. That means a safer environment for residents and businesses alike.
I support the Hennepin Ave redesign because its current design limits the amount of time I spend shopping around this area, doing errands, or doctors appointments. It’s a chaotic street that makes me feel really unsafe to drive on and I rarely brave it on foot because of all the close calls I’ve seen for people on crosswalks. This redesign will really make it possible for me to safely visit the businesses on this street in any mode of transportation that I currently use, including on a bike, bus, or car.
I use Hennepin Avenue via multiple modes (driving, transit, walking) and find it unsafe and unpleasant. As a future METRO E Line commuter, I'm excited that the proposed redesign will make transit more reliable. I'm also looking forward to a safer pedestrian experience for exploring all of the recent development along the corridor.

The Public Works recommended layout for Hennepin Avenue has broad support from residents, whether they live along Hennepin itself or come to visit. Thousands of your comments have been sent to the city. During the course of our volunteer canvassing directly on the Hennepin Avenue project area (Lake Street to Douglas Avenue) we collected over 600+ comments in person, along with video interviews.

Would you like to be featured with the rest of our supporters? Send us a pic, name, ward, neighborhood (if you’re comfortable), your preferred pronouns, and a brief statement why you support the Hennepin redesign (about 3 sentences). Email to [email protected]