Community Meeting on West 46th Street
The City of Minneapolis has called a second informational community meeting regarding road improvements on West 46th Street between Lyndale and Dupont Avenues South that is slated for construction in 2013. The meeting will take place this Wednesday, January 16 at 6:30PM, at St. Luke’s Episcopal at 4557 Colfax Avenue South.
This second informational meeting is the result of a vigorous complaint filed by the bicycle advocacy community after the first so-called informational meeting regarding these proposed improvements. The first meeting was called on short notice with the city flyering one block off the four intersections. Those residents who attended that meeting were adamant that no parking be removed and that bicycle facility improvement was not a top priority. At that time, the city at least left the impression that the results of this informational meeting would solely guide the design of this project.
The bicycle community objected, pointing to the flawed informational meeting process and the fact that this stretch of West 46th Street is recognized on the City of Minneapolis Bicycle Master Plan as one of the few east-west streets that provide a crossing of 35W. Also as a result of this controversy, the Minneapolis Bicycle Advisory Committee has passed a Resolution calling for the inclusion of bike lanes on this section of West 46th Street.
It will be important for bicycle advocates to attend this important meeting to make sure bicycle transportation receives fair and adequate consideration and that the city not just listen to residents who want the ability to park directly in front of their homes and neighborhood businesses without regard to multi-modal transportation efficiencies.
Bill
