Midtown Greenway a success story

by DENNIS GEISINGER

The new Freewheel Midtown Bike Center, as seen from Greenway level.

Have you walked across the Midtown Greenway during rush hour lately? If you haven’t, here’s some advice: Look both ways.
Traffic on the two paved lanes running through the hollow north of Lake Street, where the old Canadian Pacific railroad tracks used to lie, is steady and moving at a clipped pace and with good reason. With enough time and wind, you can ride the new bike path from Chanhassen all the way to where the Mississippi River divides Minneapolis and St. Paul, from north and south legs of the Southern LRT bike path through the Greenway to West River Parkway.

“The recognition of Minneapolis as a national leader in promoting and investing in bike/walk infrastructure has led to its selection by Congress as one of only four demonstration sites in the country to participate in the non-motorized transportation demonstration grant program,” said City Council Vice President Robert Lilligren (DFL-Ward 6). “This brings $21.5 million to spend in Minneapolis and adjoining cities to shift people from motorized to non-motorized transportation,” Lilligren said.

A number of zoning amendments enacted last year will clear the way for pedestrian oriented overlay districts citywide.

“In almost every planning document I’ve seen, Minneapolis is emphasizing our need for transportation options that include biking and walking,” said Eighth Ward Council Member Elizabeth Glidden. “Extra funding provided by Congressman Oberstar (through Transit for Livable Communities) has provided critical help to Southside projects like the RiverLake Greenway and the bicycle center for the Midtown Greenway,” Glidden said.

“The City actually requested the grant money for the center from the feds back in 1999,” said Greenway Coalition Executive Director Tim Springer. “But we couldn’t move forward until redevelopment of the old Sears Tower (now home to Allina Hospitals corporate offices and Midtown Global Market) got underway,” Springer said.

Last December, the City Council’s Transportation and Public Works Committee authorized $560,000 in federal Non-Motorized Transportation Project funds for construction of the new bike center located directly behind the tower. (The new center is accessible from the street by stairs located behind the Midtown Sheraton.) From its own coffers, Minneapolis kicked in an additional $115,000. Allina donated $75,000, Ryan Co. (the developer for Global Market) gave $25,000 amd Freewheel Bike made up the $325,000 difference of the million dollar, 11,000 sq. ft. project.

The Freewheel Midtown Bike Center will open its doors for the first time with a grand opening ceremony set for Friday, May 16. Mayor R.T. Rybak and other city officials will bike to the ribbon cutting at 7:30 a.m., followed by free coffee, food and music provided by bike center partners Freewheel Midtown, Peace Coffee and Global Market.

The center will have two large bicycle parking bays as well as bike sales, parts, repairs and rentals. A coffee cafe, bathrooms, drinking fountains and shower facilities for both people and their bikes will serve casual and commuting bicyclists.

Midtown Greenway Coalition’s office will be adjacent to the bike center. The partnership between the coalition—that will focus on community engagement and programming, like bicycle rides organized with youth agencies and Freewheel Bike—will handle the nuts and bolts of the center’s operations, like valet bike parking—makes for what the City calls “an on-the-trail oasis for bicycle commuters along the Midtown Greenway.”

“There are over 10,000 people that commute to the area every weekday,” said Freewheel Bike’s Kevin Ishaug. “If we can convert just 5 percent of those people to bike commuters, there would be 500 fewer cars causing greenhouse gases, reducing congestion, and making healthier, happier employees for the businesses,” Ishaug said.

Just the presence of the Greenway and its new bike center has made one nearby employee happy. Barb Crushshon, director of sales and marketing for Sheraton Minneapolis Midtown Hotel, which overlooks the Greenway, has featured the new accommodation for bicycle enthusiasts in the promotional material she uses to attract hotel guests.

“I was talking about it in a sales call I just made,” Crushshon said.