Rethinking I-94 discards fill-in-the-trench options

Four options likely to remain after winnowing in January

  • Rethinking I-94 discards fill-in-the-trench options_Jane McClure.mp3

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Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) recommendations headed to the Rethinking I-94 project policy advisory committee on Jan. 17 are provoking debate. Recommendations to set aside at-grade parkway or boulevard options have drawn a mixed reaction in area neighborhoods.
The policy advisory committee, which is made up of elected officials and appointed representatives, has looked at 10 alternatives since 2023. The proposal, if adopted, would narrow that list to four.
The MnDOT recommendations were published in the Star Tribune just before the Christmas holiday. That surprised advocates for filling in the freeway trench.
Ricardo Lopez, MnDOT spokesperson, released a statement:
“The information shared recently by the Star Tribune contains draft recommendations that are not yet final. MnDOT is continuing to work with agency partners and established working groups to finalize recommendations and will share information about both the alternatives evaluation and the final recommendations once they are complete. As we have been throughout the entirety of this project, MnDOT is committed to robust community engagement and allowing ample opportunities to provide feedback on this important project. In addition to a public comment period that is currently planned for late 2025/early 2026, members of the public can provide feedback on the project at any point by contacting the Rethinking I-94 Project Team at rethinkingI94project.dot@state.mn.us.”  
The transportation advocacy group Our Streets, which has promoted the notion of a Twin Cities Boulevard to replace the freeway, is strongly objecting. The group accused MnDOT of taking action in bad faith. The group is urging members to sign up to speak at the virtual meeting Jan. 17.
“This move, rushed before the holidays, effectively denies the public a chance to explore a transformative alternative that re-connects neighborhoods and addresses decades of harm,” Our Streets said in a statement released before Christmas.
Yet another point made against at-grade options is the need for federal approval for such a change. Our Streets has countered that changes to I-94 require municipal consent from Minneapolis and St. Paul. 
 On its website, Our Streets pointed out that the announcement to drop the at-grade options comes just weeks before the U.S. Department of Transportation is to announce federal Reconnecting Communities grant recipients. “The Twin Cities Boulevard campaign has a strong chance of receiving those federal funds, especially with a funding match from Hennepin County and the city of Minneapolis,” the web posted stated. 
Our Streets has long touted the idea of highway property being returned to surrounding communities for new affordable housing, small businesses, community centers, parks and other uses. The at-grade proposals ranked highly in a recent MnDOT survey.
Area district councils and business groups are also looking at the recommendations and preparing to weigh in.
Lopez said in an interview that MnDOT staff working on Rethinking I-94 looked at many factors when deciding which alternative should move forward. 
A MnDOT summary states that the at-grade options are being dismissed due to concerns related to safety, mobility, impacts to environmental justice communities, and short- and long-term costs.
“The at-grade alternatives do not address the number and severity of crashes for people in motorized vehicles. At-grade alternatives push additional traffic to surrounding roadways, which have higher crash rates than the existing freeway,” the MnDOT summary stated. Another red flag is that the at-grade options would require expanding Interstates 494 and 694.
“MnDOT heard both strong support and strong opposition to the at-grade options from community members and stakeholders via community events, open houses, the public survey in 2023, and in written communications to the project team. For example, while local advocacy groups expressed the most interest in and support for at-grade alternatives, other community members, such as corridor commuters, expressed opposition against at-grade alternatives more frequently than support,” the summary stated.
 
10 CURRENT OPTIONS
Options for the Rethinking I-94 project have been winnowed down in recent years, with another round of cutbacks proposed for the Jan. 17 Policy Advisory Committee meeting.
Options set aside in 2023 included that of having transit down the middle of the freeway. Interesting enough, that was an idea studied in the 1980s and early 1990s leading to what became Green Line light rail. Proposed was a series of park and ride lots near key University Avenue intersections, as well as so-called “kiss and ride” drop-offs by the freeway where motorists would drop off passengers who wanted to ride transit.
The committee Jan. 17 is to focus on 10 options, with discussion of winnowing down the list. While a Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) proposal to eliminate two at-grade options has drawn the most attention, four other options are also on the chopping block. Those include two freeway expansion options.
MnDOT’s summary of options cites pros and cons for each one. 
Four options would remain on the table if staff recommendations are approved. Those include:
1) No Build – I-94 would remain as is. Existing transit service would continue without improvements. No-build moves forward as a baseline for the study.
2) General Maintenance B – Updates the existing infrastructure to current standards with consistent shoulders. This would allow transit to run on bus shoulders between downtown Minneapolis and downtown St. Paul. The MnDOT overview stated that this option provides notable improvements compared to no build as pavement and bridges are reconstructed, creating an opportunity for bicycle and pedestrian crossing improvements. Bus shoulders are extended through the whole corridor, to improve mobility for transit users. 
However, there are concerns about the ability of this alternative to fully address project goals outside of infrastructure condition due to the limited changes to the corridor.
3) Reduced Freeway A – Rebuild the existing freeway, reducing to three lanes throughout in total. Of the three lanes made available in both directions, two lanes would be general purpose lanes with one lane being converted to a managed lane in each direction for bus rapid transit (BRT) and E-ZPass.
4) Reconfigure Freeway – Rebuilds the existing freeway to provide four consistent lanes in each direction, with one lane being converted to a managed lane in each direction for BRT and E-ZPass.
A MnDOT overview stated that “because these alternatives demonstrate significant opportunities to achieve a more sustainable and safer future for I-94 and the community, while meeting the critical transportation needs of our region, it is our recommendation that they move forward for further evaluation.”
Both could increase traffic congestion, and have negative air quality impacts.
Besides the at-grade proposals, MnDOT staff recommend that other options be shelved including both freeway expansion options. “While the expanded freeway option would improve mobility in the corridor, this option would have negative impacts on public health and the environment – particularly to those most vulnerable such as environmental justice populations along the corridor,” the MnDOT overview stated.
A fifth option to be set aside is called General Maintenance A. It would simply maintain the existing infrastructure and transit services.
The sixth option slated for dismissal is described as “local/regional.” It would separate the freeway into two roadway systems, providing a separate local traffic roadway and freeway space for through trips with limited access for regional traffic. It would accommodate transit on the shoulder. It would also mean expanded use of the frontage roads.  This option would increase travel times and shift traffic closer to homes and through residential neighborhoods, increasing noise and air pollution.
 
LEARN MORE:
MnDOT created a StoryMap for the Rethinking I-94 project to learn about the project in a fun and visual way. The StoryMap has a useful information to help people understand the project and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Fnd details about the different options being studied, how they are being evaluated, MnDOT’s recommendations, and next steps.

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