How can we walk safely in the neighborhood?

Chad Kulas

How do you get around the Midway? For many, we have a car and its our main mode of travel. The additions of the Green Line and A Line have helped many households downsize and eliminate an extra vehicle. And for many students, they can get to most places by foot or bike.
Recently, the Hamline Midway Coalition hosted a walk along Snelling Avenue. A group of HMC members, neighbors, and representatives from various organizations and levels of government began at Ginkgo’s and walked north toward the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. At Snelling and Como, we headed toward Hamline University where we met for a discussion on the walk.
To anyone on the walk, it was apparent parts of the sidewalk are not intended for regular use. It was narrow and in between a short barricade overlooking either another road or railroad tracks and the busy rush hour traffic along Snelling. It wasn’t ideal for an able-bodied individual, let alone anyone in a wheelchair.
Following the walk, the discussion focused on ways to improve the conditions. Would reduced speed limits help? What about redesigns? With many of the solutions, money would be a factor as well as potential traffic disruptions. It would also be hard to see any decisions made that would be unanimous in support. To make things even harder, Snelling is a state-owned road, but is also essential to Saint Paul and Ramsey County.
The walk made me think about the history of our neighborhood, and how for over 100 years it has been one of the most industrial-focused zip codes in the metro area while also being home to so many residents. We have commercial streets like Snelling and University, Hamline University, Allianz Field, the Minnesota State Fairgrounds and even park land. In an area with so many different needs, how can all the various modes of transportation coexist?
A few years ago, the Midway Chamber hosted a bike ride that stopped at a few taprooms. In planning out the route, I was struck by how difficult it was to navigate by bike so close to the Green Line and residential blocks. But I could also understand why on some stretches, where it was more industrial and semi-trucks regularly drove through. We want to encourage bike rides, but also want to make sure they’re promoting bicycle safety.
The Midway Chamber has long advocated for a more walkable neighborhood. A community where people can easily walk is good for business, after all. As we work with the Snelling University Alliance and continue our conversations with community members, we strive to find ways to make a more walkable Midway, and are hopeful to collaborate with others to create solutions for road improvements where transit users, vehicles, bikes and pedestrians can all safely commute.