Neighborhood activists along the I-35W cooridor,
myself included, are deeply involved in plans to
re-open Nicollet, turn 1st Avenue and Blaisdell into
two way streets, possibly improve freeway ramps at
Lake, possibly move the 35th and 36th Street to 38th
Street, and re-do Lake Street from Lyndale to the
Mississippi. These proposal are as complicated as
they are enormous. Proper public works planning could
leverage close to $100 million in private investment
on Lake between I-35W and Blaisdell alone.
As for Mr. Brauer's concerns about traffic flow on
Nicollet, there are multiple traffic studies underway
to research his concerns (capacity, livability and
safety). The issue will be studied to death by
engineers. Further, organizations comprised of
residents, businesses, city, county and state
government officials, etc. meet regularly to discuss
the details of these proposals. The vast majority of
residents in my neighborhood want a Nicollet that
works, as well as two way streets on 1st and
Blaisdell.
Here's why: in Whittier, with all the street closings,
one ways, and barriers caused by the freeway, it is
close to impossible to navigate through some places in
the neighborhood. Further, I know many people on 1st
Avenue who have had their houses hit by speeding cars,
and as a result do not let their children play
outside, etc.
Contrary to Mr. Brauer statement, the City of
Minneapolis has not proposed the change from one way
to two way; the proposal has come from residents and
Kmart developer Sherman Associates. However, many
city officials seem excited about the change.
I hope the candidates on this list will think
seriously about transportation and planning issues for
inner city Minneapolis neighborhoods. Several council
candidates, such as Robert Lilligren who is already
deeply involved in these issues, are way ahead of the
curve.
Dave Harstad
Whittier
--- David Brauer <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Steve Brandt had a nice piece this a.m. about the
> city's $17 million
> plan to reopen Nicollet Ave. at the K-Mart/Lake St.
> blockage
>
> http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/694179.html
>
> Last Wednesday, 10th ward council aide Allan Bernard
> gave the Kingfield
> Neighborhood Association the word that this was
> going through. I'll
> admit, it was no surprise, since the city has been
> working on it for
> years.
>
> Allan added that it's the city's plan to turn
> Blaisdell Ave. and 1st
> Ave. into two-ways (both are one way until 40th
> St.). The idea, I guess,
> is to turn those into more residential streets and
> get traffic onto
> Nicollet.
>
> I support re-opening Nicollet. When we bought our
> house one block west
> of Nicollet seven years ago, we expected the street
> to re-open, and
> traffic is what major arterials are for. (Bike lanes
> are possibilities
> for Blaisdell & 1st.) With the neighbors' ok, I'm
> fine with turning
> Blaisdell and 1st in two-way (I live far enough
> south that Blaisdell is
> already 2-way).
>
> Anyway...I am worried about one thing. Has planning
> been done to
> accommodate traffic - and deploy reasonable traffic
> calming - on
> Nicollet once it's reopened? Allan implied this sort
> of stuff was being
> done after the development deal gets made.
>
> That seems backwards to me - all of us in the 'hoods
> affected by
> Nicollet's re-opening should have helped think about
> traffic effects
> before the development contract gets signed.
>
> There's a group called Citizens for a Sensible South
> Nicollet Plan that
> has been working on a coordinated streetscape, but
> I'm talking about
> real grassroots involvement to get everyone thinking
> about making
> Nicollet-area traffic circulate calmly and
> reasonably. Things like
> coordinated streetlights, visual ways of calming
> traffic (narrow lanes),
> anything to maximize livability and reasonable
> traffic flow.
>
> I hate the idea that livability comes last in these
> deals. Again, I
> support the project.. If I missed this, I'll gladly
> be enlightened.
>
> David Brauer
> King Field - Ward 10
>
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