The City of Minneapolis Health Department has completed an evaluation of the temporary greenway installed on Irving Avenue North from June 2016-May 2017 to find out how a greenway could work in that location. The report summarizes the evaluation findings but does not make recommendations for what could happen in the future.
Results show that most people (73 percent of the respondents) who lived along the temporary greenway would like some sort of greenway on their street. People’s experiences with the temporary greenway depended on which greenway design they had on their block: the full greenway, the half-and-half greenway or the bike boulevard.
The majority of respondents living on the full greenway were generally more satisfied with the project and said that many neighborhood conditions got better: Safety of kids, disruptive noises, safety outdoors during the day, social interactions, and concerns about reckless drivers.
People living on the bike boulevard portion said many neighborhood conditions did not change or got worse as a result of the temporary greenway, and responses were mixed from people living on the half-and-half greenway.
The evaluation and feedback will help the City evaluate greenways throughout the city. The effort will look to define what a greenway is in Minneapolis, along with when and where they fit within the city’s broader pedestrian and bicycle networks. This work will also inform the update to the City’s Transportation Action Plan.
About the temporary greenway: Starting in 2012, the Minneapolis Health Department used grant funding geared toward increasing active and healthy living to explore the possibility of converting low-traffic streets in North Minneapolis into a greenway that would bring residents closer to places for physical activity. So that residents and the City could get an idea of how a permanent greenway might work and so the City could assess interest, a temporary greenway went in on the 3000-3500 blocks of Irving Avenue North between Folwell and Jordan parks. The temporary greenway was in place for a year from June 2016-May 2017.
The temporary greenway tested three different designs: a one-block full greenway, a three-block bike boulevard with community spaces, and a one-block half-and-half greenway. The City installed designated paths and boulevards for walking and bicycling; traffic calming elements; flower planters; benches and tables to gather, relax and eat at; and painted pavement art on top of the existing street for the one-year test.
Read the report and find more about the North Minneapolis greenway project at minneapolismn.gov/health/living/northminneapolisgreenway.