Our Streets, district councils push for at-grade options

Frustration is growing over the Rethinking I-94 project proposal to drop two at-grade options. The Rethinking I-94 Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) Jan. 17 discussed recommendations to eliminate options from further study, in the face of pushback from local elected officials and many community groups.

The Rethinking I-94 project involves the freeway from I-35W and Highway 55/Hiawatha Avenue in Minneapolis to Marion Street in St. Paul. Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) officials and project consultants hope to have one option set for detailed studies by 2026. Construction wouldn’t start until 2030 at the earliest. The project does not have any funding yet.

MnDOT Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger emphasized that the recommendations are preliminary, with review of all 10 alternatives to be finished this spring. St. Paul and Minneapolis City Councils and Hennepin County Board PAC representatives objected to dropping the two options that would fill in the 7.5-mile freeway trench and replace it with an at-grade roadway. So did many of the 145 community members who signed up to speak. They represented Our Streets, the champion and developer of the at-grade proposals, area district councils and individuals.

Our Streets members rallied to speak. Leaders announced earlier in January that its efforts to get a federal U.S. Department of Transportation Reconnecting Communities grant fell short, despite having matches from the city of Minneapolis and Hennepin County.

“I have no doubt that MnDOT’s decision to rashly eliminate the two at-grade boulevard project options significantly undermined our application,” Our Streets Executive Director José Antonio Zayas Cabán said in a website statement. “With the incoming presidential administration, this was our last opportunity to leverage these critical federal dollars. It’s incredibly disappointing to see Melissa Barnes and the rest of the Rethinking I-94 team completely disregard the community they serve and instead pursue the easy choice of status quo.”

At-grade advocates said that retaining those options is seen as righting historic wrongs and reconnecting communities long split by the freeway. It is also promoted as having long-term positive effects for climate change. 

Many objected in the meeting chat during public comment, when MnDOT sent out a news release summarizing the meeting before it finished.

All of the remaining four options would allow for construction of the proposed Rondo land bridge. The bridge faces challenges on another level as Minnesota House Republicans have introduced a bill trying to block that project.

Elected officials unsuccessfully pushed to be able to vote on each of the 10 options at the meeting. Six of 10 options are eyed for elimination, including expanding the freeway, and separating I-94 into local and regional routes. The options are in an environmental impact statement (EIS) process.

Russ Stark, chief resilience officer for St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, said that while there are reservations about at-grade options, those should not be ruled out. At the same time, he noted that the three years of filling the trench with “constant trucks” must be considered. Benefits of developing land along the at-grade boulevard would need many years to take shape.

The four concepts that are recommended for further study would allow a reconfigured or reduce freeway to move forward. Ideas include a dedicated lane or continuous shoulders for bus rapid transit. All four would allow a proposed Saint Paul land bridge, spearheaded by Reconnect Rondo, to be built.

Most people who commented spoke for retaining the at-grade options, arguing that it would reduce air pollution, and add housing and businesses where the trench is now. Area district councils spoke for maintaining the at-grade options including Union Park District Council, Summit-University Planning Council, Hamline-Midway Coalition, St. Anthony Park Community Council and West Seventh/Fort Road Federation. Federation comments centered on that neighborhood’s history of being split by I-35E years ago.

Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and Minnesota Trucking Association were among the few business groups speaking against the at-grade options, citing the challenges in delivering goods.