I had the great opportunity to talk with Ward 4 City Council Member LaTrisha Vetaw on December 6. Councilmember Vetaw was elected to the Ward 4 seat in November 2021, and took office in January 2022. She was re-elected in November 2023 for the term starting January 2024. (All council members were on the ballot this year due to the redistricting done based on the 2020 Census.)
For an ice breaker, I asked LaTrisha about her proudest moment during her time on the Minneapolis City Council. Her response was immediate, “… getting sworn in to serve Ward 4.” She elaborated by acknowledging that being the Ward 4 representative is a big job, and being able to find solutions for the residents is very rewarding.
Shifting gears, I asked her about her biggest disappointment. LaTrisha shared her frustration when Ward 4 Northsiders don’t take enough time to celebrate our neighborhoods and their accomplishments. While there are lots of problems to tackle and issues to resolve, Latrisha’s experience is that when one Ward 4 issue is resolved, there is generally a push for an immediate shift to the next problem on the list. She feels it is important to build on the good news of our community successes, taking that energy into the next project.
Speaking of good news that needs to be celebrated, I asked LaTrisha if she has been inconvenienced by the Osseo Road bridge closure, and the trains blocking Humboldt, Fremont and Lyndale Avenues. Short answer – she has. I take some comfort in knowing that even our Council representative has had frustrations with these road closures. The good news is that the Osseo Road bridge is now open. It won’t change the long trains blocking multiple crossings, but it does give drivers back the opportunity to use the Osseo Road bridge to bypass the train crossings.
Another piece of good news is that $200,000 was approved for a Railroad Crossing Study.The study is for the train crossing on Lyndale Avenue (a City road) just north of 42th Avenue North. There are already cameras for video reviews ofthe activity at this crossing. After enough data is compiled from the videos, reviews may produce short term improvements (like communicating the train schedules) and a long-term solution (like a bridge). Neither of these will produce immediate relief, but it is a success to get the funding to start the process for the Northside.
I asked LaTrisha about the possibility of getting a pedestrian crossing (to include bikes and wheelchairs/scooters for the disabled) at Humboldt Avenue just north of Victory Memorial Drive. Latrisha explained that Humboldt Avenue is a County road and would require coordination from multiple entities (City and County) for studies, funding and timing.
It was a quick interview and I am very grateful that LaTrisha Vetaw was able to spare some time to give us a different perspective on some of our Northside issues. If you get a chance to speak with any of our elected officials, do not be shy to ask about those issues affecting your life.
Find more about what’s up in our 4th Ward at minneapolismn.gov/government/city-council/members/ward-4/. You can contact Vetaw anytime at ward4@minneapolismn.gov and 612-673-2204.