Shops, transit, bike and walking paths would fill 7.5-mile freeway trench.
Rethinking I-94, an effort by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) to reimagine the 7.5 miles of interstate between the downtowns of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, is expected to culminate this summer with a host of options for rebuilding a roadway that now averages between 114,000 and 167,000 vehicles per day.
Those ideas are likely to include Reconnect Rondo’s proposal to build a land bridge over the freeway between Lexington Parkway and Dale Street. Our Streets Minneapolis would like MnDOT to also consider removing I-94 entirely and replacing it with Twin Cities Boulevard. Our Streets presented its concept earlier this month in a program at Macalester College and is scheduled to appear in April before the Union Park District Council’s transportation committee.
Alex Burns, transportation policy coordinator for Our Streets Minneapolis, said MnDOT has provided the Twin Cities with an opportunity. “We could perpetuate the status quo and rebuild a freeway that would last for another 60 years,” he said. Or the Twin Cities could consider the interests of the people who live and work along I-94 by filling in the trench and creating a boulevard that is connected to the neighborhood street grid, he added.
Burns described a wide strip of biking and walking paths, neighborhood businesses and new transit options where the freeway now runs. “We need to create a vision while there is still time to do so,” he said.
When I-94 was constructed in the 1960s, it displaced densely populated neighborhoods all along its length, including parts of Merriam Park and the old Rondo neighborhood of Summit-University. The freeway devalued urban neighborhoods in favor of suburban development, Burns said. Twin Cities Boulevard would make up for that displacement and other harm caused by freeway construction, he added.
I-94 extends for 259 miles through Minnesota between Fargo and Hudson. Most of its construction took place in the 1960s. The Twin Cities segment was completed in 1968. Despite frequent mill and overlay projects, that stretch of the freeway is nearing the end of its useful life, according to Burns, and now is the time to imagine how those 284 acres could be repurposed.
Our Streets Minneapolis believes there is capacity on local thoroughfares and other freeways to handle the traffic that would be displaced by the removal of I-94 between the two downtowns.
I-94 extends for 259 miles through Minnesota between Fargo and Hudson. Most of its construction took place in the 1960s. The Twin Cities segment was completed in 1968. Despite frequent mill and overlay projects, that stretch of the freeway is nearing the end of its useful life, according to Burns, and now is the time to imagine how those 284 acres could be repurposed.
Rethinking I-94 has been on the drawing boards for several years. Initial public engagement took place between 2013 and 2018. Detailed environmental studies are expected to be completed in 2023. A preferred alternative could be selected in 2023 or 2024 with construction to follow in 2026 at the earliest.
Building healthy, equitable communities
Krueger described Rethinking I-94 as a long-term effort to engage with communities along the I-94 corridor. “Our work the last few years has focused on understanding the communities in these neighborhoods, especially BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) communities,” she said. “We want to understand the needs and hopes of people who live, work and play along that road so that our work sustains and builds healthy, equitable communities. We recognize the actions 60 years ago devastated communities, and those impacts are still felt today. MnDOT and our partners are prioritizing the well-being of people.”
One proposal for I-94 that has already sought state and federal support is Reconnect Rondo, a land bridge over the freeway that would link two sides of the former Rondo neighborhood and restore some of the property that was lost when I-94 was constructed. Burns pointed out that the land bridge would address some but not all of the negative impacts of I-94.
Freeway removal has worked in other cities
Freeway removal has worked in other U.S. cities, according to Burns, including San Francisco, where an earthquake in 1989 caused sections of the elevated Embarcadero Freeway to collapse. That freeway was replaced with a new business district, tourist area and parks. Similar projects are planned in Detroit and in Syracuse, New York, according to Our Streets Minneapolis’ website at twincitiesboulevard.org.
Our Streets Minneapolis staff and volunteers have been door-knocking through neighborhoods on both sides of I-94. “What has become clear is that people understand the harm of the freeway,” Burns said. Local residents are unable to open their windows due to the noise and air pollution that I-94 generates, and they suffer from higher rates of asthma, he said.
Our Streets Minneapolis is also gathering signatures online on a petition in support of its proposal. The Saint Paul Bicycle Coalition has already signed on in support. Lisa Nelson, cochair of the UPDC’s transportation committee, said her group will review the proposal on April 11 before deciding whether to lend its support.
The UPDC committee will host a presentation on the Twin Cities Boulevard plan by Our Streets Minnesapolis and then discuss and possibly vote on the proposal from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Monday, April 11. To access the Zoom meeting, visit zoom.us/j/99150458413.
— Jane McClure
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