Salim Ali is a senior at South High School in Minneapolis
By Salim Ali
Just a few weeks ago, I waited at my usual bus stop at 3rd and Cedar in Minneapolis. The first fall chill was setting in, slipping through my thin hoodie.
Shivering, I stood at the bus stop for more than 20 minutes due to delays. This bus stop sits a couple of blocks away from I-94, where one of the biggest transportation decisions in our state is being made.
Rethinking I-94, a project that aims to redesign a section of the highway stretching from Hiawatha in Minneapolis to Marion Street just outside the State Capitol in Saint Paul has been underway for almost ten years.
The project aims to better meet transportation needs and to enhance connectivity, things which I-94 in its current state prevents.
The project is considering concepts ranging from keeping the highway as-is to adding another lane to the highway to removing the freeway entirely, filling in the corridor, and creating a new “at-grade” roadway.
Unfortunately, it seems like many of the people whose lives would be most impacted by changes to the highway have largely not engaged. A survey about the project conducted by MNDOT in 2023 generated only about 3,500 responses (the most common being from a white male ages 25-34), less than 3% of the number of people who travel on I-94 each day.
I had not heard of the project until I learned about it recently at a community event, and I use I-94 every day. It is a key access point for work, school, and recreational activities in the Twin Cities.
The survey reflects a resistance to change. All of the concepts received more opposition than support.
This knee-jerk, adversarial reaction is strongest when it comes to one of MnDot’s most radical proposals––turning a 7.5 mile stretch of the highway into the at-grade roadway with bus rapid transit. The primary concern, as said best by Vance Opperman in this open letter published by Twin Cities Business Magazine, is that this project would increase traffic in the rest of the city.
At the risk of making myself a pariah, I firmly believe the at-grade proposals offer the best solution.
While the concerns about the at-grade projects are important to consider, most of the highway users’ fears are misplaced. First of all, when changing the dynamic of a roadway by adding or removing a lane, the overall flow of traffic is unlikely to change. This is because of induced demand, in which people pick the fastest way to get to their desired location, finding alternatives once traffic is overflowing on a major roadway. Second of all, and maybe most importantly, the at-grade proposal does not actually argue for the complete tearing up of I-94 that many imagine. Instead, it is only a small section of the highway, which could serve as an example for future environmentally-friendly projects.
Still, some people are drawn to the fact that a wider highway induces demand, potentially spreading out traffic and allowing more people to use the road. But this thinking misses a big problem: the damage to people and our environment. Cars are the most environmentally harmful way of traveling, far less efficient than metro buses or light rail, and the highest asthma rates in the Twin Cities are along I-94.
The at-grade plan gives us better choices––special lanes for buses, safe paths for bikes, and space for walking. By choosing it, we are choosing a healthier future for everyone.
Another important factor is that the plan could bring major economic benefits to our city. Changing the highway into a street with shops would open up space for businesses to open and grow. People could easily walk there or take bus rapid transit, which would help bring customers to businesses in areas that now sit cut off by the highway. Plus, since the new roadway would have fewer lanes than the highway, it would cost much less to fix and maintain. The money saved could go to schools and housing.
The Rethinking I-94 project has come with adverse reactions, met with support, disagreement and certainly people in our city who haven’t heard about the decision being made that will affect millions of people in our state.
The current decision is in our hands to ensure that our state can be stepping into a better future, and that starts with making our voices heard by contacting Rethinking I-94 through their website, ensuring that I-94 becomes a walkable, greener part of our city that can inspire similar changes across the country.
Salim worked with Minneapolis Documenters Editor Jackie Renzetti and UST Law Journal Senior Editor and ThreeSixty Scholar ’18 Zekriah Chaudhry to complete his story. This story was produced as part of ThreeSixty Journalism’s 2024 Op-Ed Workshop for high school youth in partnership with Sahan Journal and the Minnesota Star Tribune.
