Letter of the day: Down the road, Minneapolis will thrive as a two-way city

Now that Minneapolis has restored Hennepin and First avenues to their two-way glory, city planners should do the same for other streets.

Last update: October 24, 2009 - 4:48 PM

The city of Minneapolis took a big pedestrian-friendly step in the right direction this month when it turned Hennepin and First avenues back into two-way streets. Long-term, this is the right direction. Yes, I recognize it's not quite time for the traffic engineers to pop the champagne cork -- there is work to do improving traffic flow, particularly left turns -- but the cost-benefit will prove to be a huge plus for not just people and bikes, but businesses, street life and interest in downtown. So keep going, Minneapolis. Next, fix Park, Portland and Blaisdell avenues. Use Lyndale Avenue S as your model -- with the median. 50th Street is improved but didn't go far enough. Go north. Go south. Go east and west. Go, Minneapolis, go!

EMMETT MULLIN, MINNEAPOLIS

Recent Letters stories

Readers Write for Tuesday, Oct. 27 - October 24, 2009

Readers Write for Tuesday, Oct. 27 - Northwest Airlines has been my airline of choice for over 30 years. The reason? My perception of its attention to the competence of flight crews, the maintenance of its aircraft and its overall safety record. More

Readers Write for Sunday, Oct. 25 - October 24, 2009

Readers Write for Sunday, Oct. 25 - Your Oct. 18 editorial asserted that "unions try end run at Delta Airlines" and implied that they are fighting a ballot-counting procedure simply so they can strike and shut down the world's biggest airline. This could not be further from the truth. More

Comment on this story | Read all 13 comments | Hide reader comments

New ideas for the public sector

THERE'S NEVER BEEN A BETTER TIME to create a more efficient Minnesota. Facing large budget deficits at the state, county and local levels, Minnesotans are seeing with new clarity that the public sector must adapt to new economic realities. Only the smartest, most strategic reinvention will ensure that our tax dollars are spent on the best programs and services. Read more

About Opinion Exchange

Opinion Exchange is produced by the Editorial Department, which is dedicated to hosting the discussion on a range of issues of interest to Star Tribune readers online and in print. In its new format, it's our hope that Opinion Exhange will create a more dynamic dialogue between Star Tribune readers and the Editorial Board. Many individual posts will be written and signed by members of the Editorial Board and will reflect their own opinions. Daily editorials will continue to represent the institutional voice of the newspaper and be researched and written by the Editorial Department, which is independent of the newsroom.

Subscribe to RSS|Learn more about RSS