Making the Connection: Midtown Greenway to Lake Street May 2016

Making the connection: Midtown Greenway to lake street May 2016

Design experiment: site amenities, wayfinding, and activities at Cepro, near the Midtown Global Market

Recent Greenway Development Murals connect to local cultures and The Midtown Exchange is a Outreach at community Highlights the opportunity attract customers mural by Greta McLain recognizable landmark How to ensure SUCCESS ALONG THE GREENWAY/LAKE STREET CORRIDOR

Two decades ago, the Midtown Greenway was a derelict This plan is informed by an in-depth understanding railroad trench. Now, each year people take more than a of these challenges and grounded in feedback from million trips on this unique, almost car-free trail connecting Greenway commuters, recreational users, underserved the Mississippi River and the Chain of Lakes. The success populations in the Midtown corridor, local business of this “green infrastructure” has encouraged commercial owners and a variety of other stakeholders consulted development and thousands of new housing units to during the summer and fall of 2015. It outlines an array sprout along the Greenway — and in the process, helped of recommendations and emphasizes new approaches to enhance the tax base, one of the key goals of Hennepin to partnerships, diverse funding sources, and “lighter, County’s Community Works initiative. This newer devel- quicker, cheaper” design solutions. opment adds to the host of other destinations near the Greenway’s 5.5-mile route, including Lake Street’s thriving The engagement process revealed tremendous opportu- commercial districts. Nevertheless, significant physical nities to forge new connections to and from the Midtown and cultural barriers stand in the way of many people who Greenway, and strengthen existing ones. If we tap that might want to exit the Greenway, or gain access to it. potential, the success of this premier urban amenity can grow to better serve nearby residents and businesses. These missed connections present challenges to the Gre- Equally important — as the county looks to wrap up the enway’s effectiveness as a transportation route and neigh- Midtown Community Works program — its success over borhood asset. Recently they were the focus of extensive the next 20 years can be ensured as well. research and community outreach by the Midtown Community Works partners: Hennepin County, the City of Minneapolis, the Midtown Greenway Coalition and the Lake Street Council.

Connecting to the Getting to key transportation network destinations

Greenway entrances are hard to find and gaps in Greenway users often report being disoriented to their bike- and pedestrian-friendly routes to and from surroundings, especially in the areas below street level. the Greenway make navigation challenging. A wayfinding system throughout the Greenway will Additional bike lanes and visual cues will improve help people know where they are going, and orient connections making the Greenway easier to access. visitors to destinations, bikeways, and community Bike-friendly business initiatives, such as bike spaces. This system will include signage, map kiosks, parking and discounts, will reinforce that welcome. and highly visible markers in a consistent color.

Part of the Bicyclist and neighborhood Pedestrian safety

Residents of adjacent neighborhoods, particularly Survey respondents felt that many connections between people of color, are underrepresented in today’s Lake Street and the Greenway seem unsafe. This creates mix of Greenway users. Quality public spaces barriers for those who wish to access nearby destinations. with attractive amenities at key locations will Solutions proposed include upgraded crosswalks (painting draw new users, while arts and cultural activities and/or flashing lights), traffic calming and signal adjust- hosted by community partners will contribute to ments, vegetation management to increase visibility and neighborhood identity and make everyone feel safety, and new streetscaping with improved lighting. welcome. Connecting to the Getting to Key Part of the Bicyclist and Example design treatments Transportation Network Destinations Neighborhood Pedestrian Safety

Humboldt Ave S Looking at 18th Ave S ramp from 17th Ave S Nicollet Ave S

Vertical Cue / Map Kiosk / Public Space Amenities / Crosswalk & Designated Bike Path/ Vertical Cue / Manage VEGETATION TO OPEN / VIEWS Bridge & Fence provide an Directional Vertical / Cue, Improved Street- Crosswalk & CONNECTING TO THE GETTING TO PART OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD BICYCLE & PEDESTRIAN SAFETY CONNECTING TO THE BICYCLIST AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY / GETTING TO / / TRANSPORTATION KEY DESTINATIONS TRANSPORTATION NETWORK PART OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD KEY DESTINATIONS CONNECTING TO THE TRANS. NETWORK BICYCLE & PEDESTRIAN SAFETY NETWORK opportunity for placemaking Signage scape & Vegetation management Bike Path

5th Ave S Bloomington Ave S E 28th St

/ / / / / / / / / / BICYCLEExtend & PEDESTRIAN Sidewalk SAFETY PARTPublic OF THE Space GETTINGDIRECTIONAL TO CONNECTINGVertical TO THE Cue CrosswalkBICYCLE & PEDESTRIAN & Designated SAFETY Bike Path DIRECTIONAL/ PARTPublic OF THE NEIGHBORHOODSpace CONNECTINGVertical TO Cue THE Vertical Cue Crosswalk & Designated Bike Path DIRECTIONAL SIGNAGE NEIGHBORHOOD KEY DESTINATIONS TRANSPORTATION NETWORK CONNECTING TO THE BICYCLE & PEDESTRIAN SAFETY GETTING TO GETTING TO KEY TRANSPORTATION TRANSPORTATION NETWORK KEY DESTINATIONS & Bike Lane Amenities SIGNAGE SIGNAGEDESTINATIONS Amenities NETWORK

Recommendation Highlights For more detail, visit www.hennepin.us/midtown.

26th St WHITTIER PARK 26th St PHILLIPS MISSISSIPPI RIVER 26th Ave S 26th Ave S 27th Ave 29th Ave S 29th Ave 30th Ave S 30th Ave

EAT STREET EAT STEWART PARK LAKE OF Minnehaha Ave S Minnehaha Ave

THE ISLES S Ave Hiawatha

CHAIN OF LAKES S Ave Nicollet BRACKETT PARK Humboldt Ave S Humboldt Ave 28th St S 40th Ave 28th St 28th St 28th St PkwyW River Lake Calhoun Parkway Calhoun Lake James Ave S James Ave S Irving Ave S Ave Hennepin S Ave Girard S Bryant Ave S Ave Lyndale S Ave Grand S Ave Pleasant S Blaisdell Ave S 1st Ave S 5th Ave S Ave Portland S Oakland Ave S Ave Park S Ave Columbus S Chicago Ave S 10th Ave S 11th Ave S 12th Ave S 13th Ave S Ave Bloomington S 18th Ave

REGIONAL PARK Soo Line Gardens

35W 55 39th Ave S 39th Ave MINNEHAHA S 34th Ave S 36th Ave UPTOWN 21st Ave S 21st Ave -LAKE W Lake St 4TH-LAKE CEDAR-LAKE LYN LAKE LYN

E Lake St HI-LAKE

CHICAGO-LAKE MISSISSIPPI GORGE 31st St BRYANT SQUARE PARK REGIONAL PARK LAKE CALHOUN POWDERHORN 32nd St PARK CALHOUN-ISLES POWDERHORN LONGFELLOW

Connection to key Midtown Greenway Existing on-street bikeway Planned on-street bikeway Business district Access point commercial / cultural Lake Street Existing off-street bikeway Planned off-street bikeway destination 0200 400 800 Feet Listening to the community 2015 Outreach efforts 21 interviews with local businesses 6 community meetings with 154 people attending

4 focus groups with underrepresented communities, 5 community events with 282 people total of 44 people attending 610 people surveyed online and at 5 public 6 small groups/workshops with 119 people opportunities along the Greenway

Challenges and opportunities WHICH IMPROVEMENTS WOULD BETTER CONNECT YOU What we heard from People of Color What prevents you from going to a lake street TO DESTINATIONS FROM THE GREENWAY? business or nearby cultural destination? -- The Greenway doesn’t seem like it’s for me and my family Very Somewhat Not There isn’t a convenient exit/entrance to where Helpful Helpful Helpful -- Images and art from my cultural community I want to go from the Midtown Greenway. 41% Map kiosks at would make me feel more comfortable entrances/exits 62% 34% 4% -- The Greenway doesn’t feel like a safe I don’t feel comfortable biking or walking Graphics along place for me to go, I don’t feel welcome or because of vehicle traffic around Lake Street. 40% pathway to/from 54% 39% 6% destinations protected there Tall visible elements -- Programs/activities to connect diverse There isn’t a convenient at exit/entrance points 50% 45% 5% communities to the Greenway would place to park/lock my bike. 26% and near destinations encourage more use Gateways that make entrances more visible 43% 48% 9% 0 10 20 30 40 45% What Business owners said Percent -- Nearly all businesses thought it would help How often do people use the Greenway to be better connected to the Greenway. DEMOGRAPHICS OF survey RESPONDENTS to go to Lake Street? -- 3 out of 4 want to attract more bicyclists Answer Response Every to their business and were interested in Choices Percent day promotions for those customers American Indian/Native American 3.8% 6% -- 73% were willing to participate in the city’s A few times Asian/Pacific Islander 3.3% a year A few times a cost-share bike parking program Black/African American 8.2% 28% week 24% Influence of Design Experiments East/West African 1.6% 37% Hispanic/Latino 2.7% -- 77% of people surveyed felt the design Multiracial 4.1% A few times a experiments had a positive impact on their month Greenway experience White/Caucasian 82.2% - Encouraged 1 in 4 people surveyed to Other 3.2% change their route or destination Next steps Implementing the plan How Much is needed and who Could help Support local government in funding these projects? Continued participation from all of the Community Works partners—including neighborhood and com- munity organizations along the Greenway—is essential $225,000 as we seek to implement the improvements outlined in this plan. Together we will follow up on existing oppor- Connecting to the Transportation Network -- State and Federal transportation grants tunities and identify new ones, build new partnerships, -- Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and seek funding from organizations that may support -- Local and national bike advocacy groups many solutions in the plan. Examples of potential funding sources appear in the chart at right. $700,000 Visit www.hennepin.us/midtown to sign up for project Part of the Neighborhood updates, view supporting documents, and learn more -- National and local arts grants about the “Making the Connections” plan. -- Neighborhood enhancement grants -- Public and private placemaking grants

What’s in it for the community? $350,000 Getting to Key Destinations easy to Midtown transportation -- State of Minnesota legacy grants navigate -- Federal and regional trail grants recreation curiosity Greenway -- Minnesota DNR Grants open represent local accessible local cultures stores economic $495,000 fun welcoming vitality engaging walkable Bicyclist and pedestrian Safety connected -- Federal Highway Safety Grants kids & families Lake Adjacent -- Safe Routes to School unique -- State Transportation Safety Grants Street arts activities neighborhoods improved active exploration tra c safety community events bike friendly safe paths to destinations attractive schools

Comments and questions E: [email protected] Midtown community works Partners T: 612.348.0134

This plan was supported in part by a grant from the City of Minneapolis through the Great Streets Neighborhood Business District Support program.

Researched and prepared by Damon Farber Landscape Architects