Council advances controversial Lindell Avenue safety project to full vote
The Minneapolis City Council's Climate and Infrastructure Committee voted unanimously to forward a major reconstruction plan for Lindell Avenue to the full council, despite sharp divisions between safety advocates and business owners worried about construction impacts.
The committee moved the Lindell Avenue Reconstruction Project forward without a formal recommendation on July 10, reflecting deep disagreement about the nearly $100 million overhaul of the aging corridor between I-94 and 31st Street. Hennepin County is proposing to rebuild the road with two-way bike lanes, transit lanes, center medians, enhanced lighting, and improved pedestrian safety features. A 2022 pilot project on the same street showed a 57% reduction in crashes.
Safety advocates, including the group Livable Lindell, praised the project's multimodal design and emphasized the need for action. However, business owners and some residents expressed severe concerns about potential economic devastation during the estimated 2-3 year construction period. They cited the recent Hennepin Avenue reconstruction, where businesses like Lowry and Red Cow closed due to construction impacts. John Mardle, speaking for the business community, said: "The business community had previously reluctantly agreed to a compromise to support and get the project moving. What you were looking at is not the plan that the business community agreed to."
Key design features include retaining 76% of existing parking, reducing tree impacts from over 90 to 50-60 trees, and incorporating dedicated left-turn lanes at major intersections like Lake Street—identified as a top crash location for pedestrians. The project is 40-45% federally funded, but faces a June 30, 2027 deadline to secure that money or lose it.
The committee also unanimously approved nine routine items on the consent agenda, including accepting gifts from the Minneapolis Foundation and Equivolve, and approving a land sale at Wedge Point Park. In a separate action, the committee postponed discussion of the 2026-2029 Climate and Infrastructure Work Plan to August 6 after environmental advocates raised concerns about language linking zero waste goals to closure of the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERK). Leslie Mint of the Minnesota Environmental Justice Table warned that the wording might suggest zero waste is a prerequisite for HERK closure, when the facility's pollution impacts warrant independent action.
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Votes (3)
Consent Agenda Items 3-11
Dissent: None
Moved by Vice Stevenson [00:09] · Seconded by Unknown [00:09]
The consent agenda included resolutions for gift acceptances from Equivolve, Brookings Transportation Initiative, and Minneapolis Foundation. It also contained a resolution of support for the Minnesota Department of Transportation Highway 280 project, setting a public hearing for the Minnesota Department of Transportation Central Avenue Improvement Project, a land sale at Wedge Point Park, authorization for grant applications for federal highway safety improvement funds, accepting a low bid for the West River Road phase 2 project, and approving a legislative directive related to the proposed closure of the Henipin Energy Recovery Center. No items were pulled for further discussion.
2026 to 2029 Climate and Infrastructure Committee Work Plan
Dissent: None
Moved by Vice Stevenson [00:15] · Seconded by Unknown [00:15]
Public comment focused on the 'zero waste' strategic objective. Leslie Mint of the Minnesota Environmental Justice Table praised the inclusion of zero waste and the creation of a zero waste program manager FTE and ambassadors. However, she expressed concern that the work plan's wording might imply zero waste is a prerequisite for closing the HERK, arguing that HERK closure should be pursued independently due to its ongoing pollution impact, regardless of waste reduction efforts. No further public speakers came forward, and the committee decided to postpone the item.
Lindell Avenue Reconstruction Project and Designation Resolution
Dissent: Council Member Vita initially expressed a preference to move it without recommendation, but ultimately supported the modified motion.
Moved by Vice Stevenson [01:54] · Seconded by Council Member Chowdery [01:54]
Hennepin County staff presented a detailed overview of the Lindell Avenue reconstruction, highlighting the project's history, the success of a 2022 pilot (57% crash reduction, speed moderation), extensive community engagement, and project goals including safety, accessibility, greening, and meeting community needs. The design incorporates two-way bikeways, transit advantage lanes, center medians, enhanced lighting, tree preservation efforts (reducing impacted trees from 90+ to 50-60), and retains 76% of existing parking. The project is critical due to the age of infrastructure and a federal funding deadline of June 30, 2027. Public comments revealed strong division: advocates for biking, walking, and transit lauded the safety improvements and multimodal design, emphasizing the need for action and investment. Business owners and some residents expressed severe concerns about potential economic devastation due to multi-year construction, loss of parking, and the impacts of median placement, citing negative experiences from the Hennepin Avenue reconstruction. Concerns were also raised about tree loss and the city's assessment policy for street reconstructions. During committee discussion, members acknowledged the controversial nature and the compromise embedded in the plan. Key points included the substantial federal funding (40-45%), efforts to reduce the 2-3 year construction timeline, and the county's commitment to anti-displacement work for businesses. Council members debated the need for more business support and further design refinements, ultimately agreeing to forward the concept plan to the full City Council without a formal recommendation.
Notable Quotes (11)
One framing in the work plan that gave us pause was identify measurable waste reduction strategies in support of public discussion of herk closure. We are worried that this wording might convey the message that getting to zero waste is a prerequisite for her closure and that is a trap.
Uh, you know, one thing we've heard a lot from the community is lighting this corridor. This corridor is very busy, but it doesn't have lighting on it. So, uh, certainly a focus for us.
The business community had previously reluctantly agreed to a compromise to support and get the project moving. What you were looking at is not the plan that the business community agreed to.
Over the past three years, Livable Lindale has mo has mobilized a powerful powerful support for safe and welcoming street design for people who walk, bike, roll, and bus along Lindale Avenue.
If we are asking our communities to accept permanent changes to how they like live, travel, and do business, then we should expect measurable evidence that those changes are making us safer. Where is that evidence for the major changes coming on Lindale Avenue?
We are at risk for losing our federal funding. We do have a federal authorization date on this project of June 30th of 2027.
I absolutely support safe streets and improvements, but speaking from experience, Lindale Avenue reconstruction design should be reviewed and designed based on the painful and real-time examples provided by the Henipin Avenue design that is currently in place.
I am encouraging you to support it because this is the compromise that we can do. This is the one that gives as many people as much as we can have.
I think any level of local government right now would be very hardressed to find a $9 million funding amount to fill that gap.
I want people here today to be assured that many of us have reached out to the county to ask what supports they have to offer businesses during the construction.
Henipin County takes a very strong approach to disparity elimination and we have been working through for the blue line extension project a conversation and you use the the term that we've been using is um anti-displacement work.
Ordinances & Resolutions (11)
Legislation classifying meeting recordings and broadcasts as public data.
Committee's strategic objectives, including zero waste and climate resilience.
Resolution of support for this project (Consent Agenda Item 6).
Public hearing setting for August 20th (Consent Agenda Item 7).
Grant application authorization (Consent Agenda Item 9).
Minneapolis policy adopted in 2017 with a goal of eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries.
City policy guiding street design discussions and decisions.
City policy guiding street design discussions and decisions.
City policy guiding street design discussions and decisions.
Report by Smart Growth America outlining pedestrian safety issues in America.
Study cited to counter claims that medians cause economic losses for businesses.
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Lindell Avenue Reconstruction Project and Designation Resolution
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