East end of 6th Street in downtown Minneapolis closed for repaving this weekend
The eastern end of 6th Street South in downtown Minneapolis will close to traffic this weekend as construction crews resurface the roadway. The street, from 5th Avenue South to the I-94 on ramp just east of 13th Avenue South, will shut down just after midnight the morning of Saturday, Sept. 11 and reopen in time for rush hour on Monday morning. The full closure will allow crews to resurface these eight blocks in two days, so it should not affect traffic on any weekday rush hours.
This portion of 6th Street feeds onto eastbound Interstate 94. Drivers who want to get onto eastbound I-94 should follow detour signs, which will take them to a freeway on ramp off of Cedar Avenue south of Downtown. Other I-94 on-ramps are also available, including the ramp from Olson Memorial Highway and the Hennepin/Lyndale ramp near Loring Park.
During the closure, traffic on 5th Avenue South, Park Avenue and Portland Avenue will be able to cross 6th Street. Through traffic on Chicago Avenue and 11th Avenue will be detoured. No Parking signs will also be posted 1 block on either side of 6th Street during the road closure where applicable.
This work is part of a comprehensive repaving of more than 50 blocks of streets in downtown Minneapolis. Affected roadways are getting a mill and overlay treatment, a process that involves removing the top layer of asphalt and replacing it with a new driving surface. This work should extend the lives of these streets by a decade. Bicycle lanes will be added to some of the streets, improving bike access to downtown.
For more information on Downtown street repaving, go to:
www.minneapolismn.gov/public-works/cip/resurfacing2011-downtown
Nominations are now being accepted for the annual Commuter Choice Awards
Has your company or organization recently started a transit pass program such as Metropass? Do you provide shower and locker facilities for bikers? Have you hosted a commuter fair for Commuter Challenge and/or Bike Walk Week? Is there any other way you have encouraged your employees or members to consider other options besides driving alone?
The region’s transportation partners recognize people and organizations that develop creative ways to promote commuting options, including taking the bus or train, bicycling, carpooling, vanpooling, walking and teleworking.
Past winners have included the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy which created a program called Travel Better, where employees pledge to try alternatives to driving alone to work throughout the summer. And Minneapolis Community and Technical College made taking transit an even more affordable option by subsidizing the cost of the Go-To College Pass, a semester-long transit pass.
The Commuter Choice Awards are a great way to get your organization recognized for the hard work they do promoting transportation options in the Twin Cities. Nominations forms are available for download below. All nomination forms must be e-mailed as a PDF attachment to awards@metc.state.mn.us by 3 p.m. Monday, October 10, 2011.
Download Nomination Forms
Individual
Employer
Organization
Event Information
Volunteer for Bicycle and Pedestrian Counts
Minneapolis Public Works is gearing up to conduct its 5th annual Bicycle and Pedestrian Count, and you can volunteer to help. Volunteers will be asked to count the number of bicyclists and pedestrians at several locations around the city. The main days for counting will be Tuesday, September 13 and Wednesday, September 14, although other days are available. Most counts are conducted from 4-6pm, however there are shifts throughout the day at select locations.
Minneapolis Public Works conducts bicyclist and pedestrian counts in order to understand the impact of non-motorized travel on streets, sidewalks, and bike paths. Accurate counts enable the City to plan and build for bicyclists and pedestrians, while tracking what’s successful and what should be done differently.
If you’re interested in volunteering, register online or contact Simon Blenski at simon.blenski@minneapolismn.gov or 612-275-6754.
To learn more, visit the City of Minneapolis’s count home page to view traffic flow maps and the annual count report.
Minneapolis to close streets around the Metrodome for Vikings-Texans game Thursday, Sept. 1
The City of Minneapolis will close several streets around the Metrodome as a security measure before and during the Minnesota Vikings-Hourton Texans game on Thursday, Sept. 1. Begining at 5 p.m., the following streets will be blocked off:
Fifth Street, from 11th Avenue to Park Avenue
Chicago Avenue, from Third Street to Sixth Street
Fourth Street, from Park Avenue to I-35W
Norm McGrew Place, from Third Street to Fourth Street
The streets will reopen around 11 p.m.
