Project overview

The City plans rebuild about 1.25 miles of Dowling Ave N, from Thomas Ave N to Lyndale Ave N.

Currently, the road has two lanes for cars, some places to park, bike lanes, and sidewalks on both sides. Most of the area near the road is residential with many single-family homes, but there are also some small businesses and religious buildings.
Other important landmarks:

• The Sojourner Truth Academy is on the corner of Dowling Ave N and N Emerson Ave.
• There is a funeral home and cemetery on the north side of Dowling Ave N between Penn Ave N and N Humboldt Ave.
• Folwell Park is on the south side, which is between N Knox Ave and N Humboldt Ave.

This project is a reconstruction project that will include:

• new sidewalks
• ADA pedestrian ramps
• potential for a bikeway
• new pavement, curb and gutter
• utility upgrade

The project will also include signal improvements, new signage, and new pavement markings, as needed.

View interactive map

Project purpose

This project is intended to improve the right-of-way for all people in all the ways they move around. The part of Dowling Ave N between Thomas Ave N and Lyndale Ave N was built between 1960 and 1962. The pavement is mostly rated as "fair" based on a rating scale from the city in 2021.  This part of Dowling Ave N has a pavement surface that is beyond its expected useful life. This project will fix those parts and make the street nicer. 
This project also gives us a chance to include and improve:

• ADA compliant curb ramps
• add boulevards with trees
• install a bicycle facility
• address sidewalk obstructions
• build a direct connection with Upper Harbor Terminal

This street is used a lot, with about 110 people walking, 40 people biking, and 7,414 to 10,288 people driving on it every day. The city has a plan called Vision Zero that has identified this road as a High Injury Street. To help get rid of traffic crashes that result in severe injuries and deaths, we are prioritizing this street for changes.