Lyndale Avenue South is about to be rebuilt whether we like it or not. It has been almost a century since the road was completely rebuilt. Hennepin County Road serves thousands of commuters daily; It also serves as the heart of the Lyn-Lake, Wedge and larger Uptown neighborhoods.
The Vibrant Lyndale and Liveable Lyndale advocacy groups have argued in recent years over various designs proposed by the Hennepin County design team. In general, Vibrant Lyndale wants to preserve parking, and Liveable Lyndale wants a bus lane and bike path.
As I attended recent meetings between Vibrant Lyndale and Liveable Lyndale, as well as the county’s design team and Mayor Frey, I noticed a common thread: stress. We are all stressed.
Business owners who make up a large portion of Vibrant Lyndale fear two years of construction will hurt their business and some parking spaces will have to be eliminated in favor of a bike path and/or bus lane.
Bike and bus advocates at Liveable Lyndale value safety and getting to their destination without feeling at risk. They also want to give a voice to those who don’t have the time or resources to advocate for safer streets.
Vibrant Lyndale Leader Andrea Corbin (back) and Mayor Jacob Frey (front) discuss with community members representing Liveable Lyndale.
” data-large-file=” alt=”” class=”wp-image-132232″ size=”(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px”/>Discussions between Vibrant Lyndale Supervisor Andrea Corbin (back) and Mayor Jacob Frey (front) with community members representing Liveable Lyndale.
We all want the new design to work. We want businesses and restaurants to be there during and after construction. If not, then what’s the point of going to Lyndale?
It’s impossible to fit everything on a road that’s only so wide. The street is a common space from one edge of the sidewalk to the other.
Between 31st and Franklin Avenues, various road users have conflicting ideas about what their street should look like. Commuters want to use Lyndale Avenue as a straight line to get to their destination quickly. Delivery drivers want to get in and out of a restaurant quickly and be on their way. Shoppers want to stroll down the beautiful tree-lined street, window shop, and spontaneously visit new places. Locals like to go to the grocery store and hang out in cafes.
The problem is that we can’t have everything.
We cannot have a road whose width encourages speeding, even if the speed limit is 25 miles per hour, and we can also want intersections with shorter distances and better visibility. We cannot park on the street and assume that there will never be any delays due to people parking parallel. If there are significant delays, we cannot rely on public transport to get to work. We can’t feel safe cycling with our 10 year old next to us on a two-way bike path that has multiple entrances every block.
We want the street to have so much impact. We want to get through quickly. We want to slow down and shop. We want to take fast trips, long trips.
We want to enable people to go to work, to the grocery store, to their grandparents’ house, to their favorite pizza place, to buy flowers for their daughter’s wedding, and to get the ring for that wedding. We want to feel safe. We want to bring our family and friends from out of town and show them what a cool place we live in.
We want a tree canopy that provides us with shade for walking, for benches, for our cars and our bikes. We want the bus to move quickly across the street so that people can get to work, especially those who don’t have a car. We want the street to serve many purposes, and that’s the beauty of living in Uptown.
My realization during the VFW meeting on June 1, 2026. The napkin note reads: “It’s not just a question of space, it’s a question of money.” Photo by Mel Bernstein.
” data-large-file=” alt=”” class=”wp-image-132233″ size=”(max-width: 771px) 100vw, 771px”/>My realization during the VFW meeting on June 1st 2026. The napkin note says: “It’s not just a question of space, it’s a question of money.” Photo by Mel Bernstein.
Speakers at the public meetings blamed the proposed bike path, bus lane and reduction in on-street parking, saying those measures would prevent customers who arrive by car from visiting their stores. But two years of construction would limit these customers even more (reduced demand).
People with disabilities will no longer have the option of being dropped off at the curb, as is currently the case. Delivery drivers must park and walk or use the alleys to pick up their order.
The thousands of drivers who travel through Lyndale every day choose alternative routes and means to get to their destination. Many people will be stuck in traffic on side streets.
Others will take the E line along Hennepin, using the (part-time) bus lane. And some people ride bikes or walk to get to their destination.
People’s daily routines and paths are disrupted. Detours will be put in place; Due to the good accessibility and the lower construction noise, other locations should be chosen. It’s going to suck. There is no way around it.
While we can hope there is light at the end of the tunnel, if there are no surviving businesses, there is no reason to visit Lyndale.
The financial burden will fall on those most affected by construction. In addition to two years of road closures, detours, noise and disruption, businesses and homeowners will face large tax refunds and higher property taxes due to the new and improved infrastructure in which they live. No matter how many signs say “Lyndale Ave. is open. Support local businesses”; Companies will suffer.
The shops are open during construction and appreciate your continued support. Photo from Katie Jones’ campaign
” data-large-file=” alt=”” class=”wp-image-132234″ size=”auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px”/>Businesses are open during construction and look forward to your continued support. Photo from Katie Jones’ campaign
The Minneapolis City Council allocated $900,000 to help businesses affected by construction on nearby Hennepin Ave S, but the city never used the money.
At a meeting in June at the James Ballentine Uptown VFW, some public speakers called for those affected to be eligible for a 1% interest loan to get them through construction. Andrea Corbin, president of the Uptown Association, made a last-minute appeal to Mayor Frey to delay the project for another year, which does not appear possible since the project is heavily dependent on federal funding.
State Rep. Katie Jones of Minneapolis recently sponsored a bill that would provide short-term financial assistance to small businesses impacted by major construction. This led to a pilot program currently running on Arcade Street in St. Paul. In the next term, Rep. Jones will join other lawmakers in expanding the program to include additional road reconstruction projects, including the proposed Lyndale Ave. project.
The fight on Lyndale Ave is less about the bike path and more about construction in general and the lack of financial support to support businesses. While people’s priorities vary on what they want the street to look like and who should prioritize it, I would say we all want Lyndale businesses to not only survive, but thrive. But getting there will require all levels of government working together to help more businesses stay afloat.
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https://streets.mn/2026/07/29/lyndale-ave-reconstruction-its-not-just-a-space-issue-its-a-money-issue/
