Glenwood Avenue (Golden Valley and Minneapolis) improvements

Project background and timeline

Hennepin County has been making improvements on the Glenwood corridor since 2017. This includes a project between highways 55 and 100 that narrowed motor vehicle lane widths and added bike lanes and sidewalks. A repaving project between Thomas and Aldrich avenues in Minneapolis also narrowed motor vehicle lane widths and added bike lanes.

As part of the preparation for the repaving of this segment, county and city partners evaluated opportunities to 1) improve mobility for all people using the nearly 2-mile corridor and 2) connect to existing facilities to the adjoining segments of Glenwood Avenue.

In 2018, the project team began to gather ideas and input by conducting studies, hosting an open house and forming a study group of interested Glenwood Avenue residents. The study group met several times and identified potential design needs and concepts for this improvements project, as well as for future improvements.

In spring 2020, project staff repaved this segment on Glenwood Avenue.

Project improvements

In addition to the repaving, other improvements were made to include:

Connecting with existing bike lanes by reconfiguring roadway shoulders as dedicated bike lanes
Improving safety and comfort for all users by adding a buffer between motor vehicle and bike lanes
Enhancing traffic calming by narrowing motor vehicle lane widths from 13 to 11 feet

Public involvement

Past outreach

Mumble strip survey

After repaving in 2020, Hennepin County crews installed mumble strips along Glenwood Avenue. We surveyed users about their new experience after that installation.

Glenwood Avenue 2020 mumble strip survey summary results (PDF)

Glenwood Avenue 2020 mumble strip survey results – all comments (PDF)

Golden Valley City Council meeting

On September 17, 2019, Hennepin County staff attended the Golden Valley City Council meeting to discuss proposed recommendations for the 2020 mill and overlay project.

Glenwood Avenue memo (PDF)

Design open houses

Design open houses for the Glenwood Avenue improvements project were hosted on December 5, 2018 and August 8, 2019. The open house focused on receiving feedback, questions and input from residents and businesses about the Glenwood Avenue corridor between Highway 100 and Thomas Avenue.

Open house materials

Crosswalk evaluation guidance (PDF)

Pedestrian facility treatments (PDF)

Roadway improvement process (PDF)

Residential study groups

Hennepin County, in partnership with the City of Golden Valley, formed a study group comprised of residents along the corridor. This group have met several times starting in January 2019, with the goal of developing short and long-term strategies to improve mobility for all modes of transportation along Glenwood Avenue.