Midtown Greenway pedestrian and bikeway safety improvements

Hennepin County will make safety improvements at seven intersections for people who walk, bike and roll on the Midtown Greenway in Minneapolis.

Major construction activities completed in 2021.

Project completed in 2021

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Construction updates

Enjoy an improved Midtown Greenway experience

The Midtown Greenway safety improvements project is nearing its end, as crews completed all concrete and paving work for the new ramps, sidewalks and curb extensions at the six intersection crossings.

People using the Midtown Greenway can now enjoy these safer crossings and a better experience overall.

Crews will be on-site at various times this winter to wrap up remaining construction activities:

Installing wayfinding signage
Installing new crossing signal buttons at 28th Street, Minnehaha Avenue and Hiawatha Avenue

The Greenway will remain open while crews complete the final activities. We ask Greenway users to stay aware, use caution and look for signs about activities.

Humboldt Avenue intersection

Construction to improve the Midtown Greenway intersection at Humboldt Avenue will now happen in 2022 as part of Metropolitan Council's East Isles sewer improvements project. To learn more about the project, visit the Met Council's project page.

Greenway crossing photos

James Avenue

Irving Avenue

5th Avenue

28th Street

Hiawatha Avenue

Minnehaha Avenue

Project information

Project locations

The seven Midtown Greenway intersections planned for improvements are:

James Avenue
Irving Avenue
Humboldt Avenue (Planned for 2022)
5th Avenue
28th Street East
Hiawatha Avenue (Highway 55)
Minnehaha Avenue

Planned improvements

All seven intersections will be upgraded with:

New pedestrian curb ramps that meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards
New curbs, sidewalks, and trails at the crossing locations
Added high-visibility trail crossing markings

Other safety improvements include:

Upgraded curb extensions at James, Irving, Humboldt, and 5th avenues to shorten trail crossing distances and enhance visibility of the trail crossing
A raised trail crossing at 5th Avenue to slow people driving and encourage them to yield to Greenway users
Updated overhead pedestrian crossing beacons (flashing signals) at 28th Street and Minnehaha Avenue
New raised medians at Minnehaha Avenue intersection to provide a protected refuge area for Greenway users

Public involvement

Project history

In 2016, Midtown Community Works partners (Hennepin County, the City of Minneapolis, the Midtown Greenway Coalition and the Lake Street Council) completed extensive research and community engagement along the Midtown Greenway to evaluate existing conditions, collect community feedback and identify potential corridor improvements.

The Midtown Connections plan presents a series of recommendations, including pedestrian and bikeway safety improvements.

Making the Connection: Midtown Greenway to Lake Street plan 2016 (PDF)

These 2021 safety improvements are the result of the collaborative plan and the potential design solutions it identified. For more information and details about the plan, visit the Midtown Community Works webpage.

Project contact information

Hennepin County

Midtown Greenway improvements

Stan Lim, P.E.
Project manager for construction
stanley.lim@hennepin.us
Phone: 612-282-3609

Amber Klein, P.E.
Project manager for design
amber.klein@hennepin.us
Phone: 612-596-0176

Midtown Community Works

Crystal Myslajek
midtowncw@hennepin.us
Phone: 612-348-4630

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