Minneapolis ponders ‘Greenway’ street conversion (no cars allowed)

Imagine if your city street was stripped of its pavement and turned into a bike/pedestrian-friendly “greenway.” Trees, grass, and paths replace pavement and cars whizzing by.

That scenario is being considered in Minneapolis, where the city is working to develop plans to convert a low-traffic street in north Minneapolis to a no-cars-allowed “linear park.”

Image reveals imaginary street converted into a “greenway” with no motorized traffic

No small plan, the North Minneapolis Greenway would run more than 30 blocks north to south. Current home owners would lose access to the street, with parking in alleyways or small lots constructed near the green space.

The proposed route runs through North Minneapolis, the poorest and most run-down part of the town. It would link a huge swath of the city neighborhoods to downtown and connecting trails that stream through the rest of the city (including right past our office here at GearJunkie).

What do you think? Utopian community planning or Big Brother getting in the way with a crazy scheme? Either way, the Greenway plan could change the nature of a swath of the city for good.

—Stephen Regenold

Maps of proposed greenway route through city