Support Improved Bike Facilities on Hennepin and First Avenues Downtown

Last fall, the City of Minneapolis converted Hennepin and 1st Avenues back to two-way traffic downtown and added amenities to improve safety and access for bicycles. A report from Public Works shows that accidents have gone down for motor vehicles and bicycles, even though traffic volume has increased. In fact, so far this year there have been no bicycle accidents reported on Hennepin and 1st, compared to an average of over twelve per year before the conversion!

Combined bike traffic on Hennepin, Nicollet, and 1st is up 43%, but some of the increase may be due to the loss of bike lanes on Marquette and 2nd Avenues, according to an article in the Star Tribune. Additional improvements are planned, including marking the shared bus/bike lanes in green and increasing the size of the stencils that indicate bus/bike right-turn-only for greater visibility. Painted buffer zones will be added on 1st Avenue, which should reduce the incidence of bikes running into opening car doors ("dooring") and also help vehicles with disability ramps. "Candlestick" style cones will also be placed between the parking lanes and the bike lanes to more clearly delineate the space.

Some residents and downtown businesses are opposing the changes, even though the results have been very positive. Sending a message of support to the city council will help to counter this resistance, improving the chances of maintaining or even enhancing the changes.

If you drive or bicycle downtown, please add personal comments about your experience before and after the changes. Preference for the new configuration and demonstrated understanding of the changes will be especially helpful.