Hennepin/1^st Avenue Evaluation & Improvements

The City of Minneapolis has completed an evaluation of the conversion of Hennepin and 1^st Avenues to 2-way traffic. No bicyclist-motorist crashes have been reported since the conversion six months ago, compared to an average of twelve crashes per year before the conversion. Bicycle volume has increased on 1^st Avenue N, decreased on Hennepin Avenue, and increased on Nicollet Mall. Read a summary of the evaluation in this news release.

Improvements to both Hennepin and 1^st Avenues will be implemented for bicycling in the coming weeks. On Hennepin Avenue these improvements will include:

Enlarging the "bus, bike, right turn" pavement text
Adjustments to the placement of the shared lane markings that better indicate where the bicyclist should ride
Adding green color to the shared lane markings to further emphasize the presence of bicyclists in the right lanes

On 1^st Avenue N improvements will include:

Creating two foot buffer zones next to the bike lanes to provide more space between the bike lanes and parked cars
Adding plastic delineators (aka "candlesticks") on a seasonal basis to provide a barrier between the bike lanes and parked cars

The full evaluation report (pdf) and PowerPoint presentation (pdf) given to the City Council can be found online.

Published Oct 6, 2010