Viewpoints on Lyndale Ave. reconstruction

Move Minnesota hosted a rally for a bike/pedestrian-friendly Lyndale Ave. reconstruction on Saturday, March 2, 2024 at 27th St. and Lyndale Ave S. It was part of the Livable Lyndale project and promoted “to show Hennepin County our strong support for bus and bike lanes on Lyndale Avenue.”
Move Minnesota’s Director Sam Rockwell joined the group of supporters. “There is a big opportunity here with the planned reconstruction of Lyndale that will last 50 to 70 years,” said Rockwell, who lives a few blocks from the avenue. “We want to make sure it is not just somewhere to move through but to go to.”
Livable Lyndale is a project of Move Minnesota’s Minneapolis Volunteer Team, advocating for a street where neighbors and visitors can linger, businesses can thrive, and that works for all modes of travel. They advocate for a reconstruction that includes wider sidewalks, curb-level bike lanes, and full-day bus lanes.
At the rally, they were joined by members of another group, called Vibrant Lyndale. They are advocating for making the pilot 3-lane design permanent. According to their website,“The removal of on-street parking would be detrimental to Lyndale’s eclectic and one-of-a-kind business community.” They say that the Bryant bikeway “has already proven to be the safest option when biking near Lyndale.”
At the March 2 rally, they were distributing cards to drivers and had a large banner there that said, “Remove Lyndale parking. Kill Lyndale business.”
“It was great to have other voices out there,” said Rockwell. “Having healthy disagreement, rather than vitriol is wonderful.”
Hennepin County is leading the reconstruction plans for Lyndale Ave. S (County Road 22) between Franklin Ave. and 31st St. with input from the city of Minneapolis, and Metro Transit. They are planning to share the preferred design alternative this spring to gather final input and begin construction 2026.