Many streets in the Twin Cities are loud, have frequent crashes and lack safe places to walk and bike, and it doesn’t have to be this way.
Designing streets solely for car traffic harms our communities.
While it might not be at the front of your mind, the way streets are designed in your community impacts your likelihood of being involved in a crash, your ability to get around without a car, and the quality of air you breathe.
Redesigning streets for everyone with universal design.
Universal design is a street planning approach that prioritizes accessibility, mobility and usability. It’s centered on the vision that everyone should be able to comfortably and easily use our streets.
Complete streets are safe streets.
“I just know that these things don’t have to happen. There are ways to protect pedestrians, bikers…People should be able to come home at night. There is no reason that they shouldn’t be able to come home from work, come home from school, wherever they are, and make it home to their friends and families.”
Stephanie Bentley
Alex’s Partner
“[Streets designed for people] would really help with mental health issues and loneliness, for more people to just be out and about interacting and not necessarily needing a car to get around.”
Open Streets MPLS Attendee
Glenwood 2023
“The modern street/road hybrid both fails to move vehicles quickly or provide safe places for people to walk. Typically owned by the state and designed like a highway with wide lanes, it also has numerous curb cuts, turns, and a high degree of complexity, making this the most dangerous street type in the country.”
Divided by Design
Smart Growth America
Every street reconstruction needs to reflect universal design strategies.
When a street is reconstructed, it is an opportunity to engineer streets for all our neighbors.
7,500
Pedestrians killed in 2022— a 40-year high. Every day, 20 people walk outside and end up killed by a moving vehicle.
9° F
The difference in temperature in the Twin Cities thanks to the “urban heat island” effect.
26%
The percentage of Black Minneapolis residents killed by vehicle crashes. 19% of the Minneapolis population is Black.
Explore local street projects.
Streets need community input. Instead of designing streets for cars, we should incorporate universal design and design streets to be vibrant spaces that support the many ways that people get around.
Learn more about streets for people.
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