The future of Lake Street
• Streetscaping • Roadway design • Pedestrian safety • Parking • Transit connections
Road and streetscape improvements have laid the groundwork for impressive economic revitalization in older urban corridors throughout the Twin Cities area.
Downtown Hennepin Ave., Dinkytown, Nicollet Ave. and Franklin Ave. in Minneapolis and St. Louis Park's Excelsior Boulevard are recent examples.
Lake Street has strong potential to revitalize its commercial base. Efficient traffic flow and an attractive streetscape will boost the marketability of Lake Street for the long term, encouraging business expansion and new developments.
This scenario is already playing out in Midtown and other areas of Lake Street. There, Lake Street reconstruction is being coordinated with major redevelopment activity and several small business initiatives—all seeking to link major public investments with commercial vitality.
The community in general, and property owners in particular, are now in a position to determine the "curb appeal" of Lake Street through their choice of a streetscape package.
Streetscaping back to top
- A new streetscape will unify the appearance of Lake Street. It will contain decorative lighting, tree plantings, scored sidewalks, trash receptacles, benches and bike racks.
- At business nodes, the streetscape will be enhanced if most property owners opt to pay for the increased installation costs and maintenance. Some of the enhancements include stamped sidewalk icons, parking lot screen fencing and banners on the light poles.
- In Midtown, the segment between Columbus Avenue and Cedar Avenue will have an enhanced streetscape. East of Hiawatha Ave., the segment of Lake Street (Hiawatha Avenue to West River Parkway) will have an enhanced level of streetscape. Planning for West Lake Street is currently underway.
Roadway design back to top
- Lake Street will measure the same distance (or slightly narrower) curb to curb as it did before the reconstruction.
- Lake Street will continue to have two lanes of traffic in each direction.
- Some intersections will receive new turn lanes. Those intersections include Portland, Park, Chicago and Elliot Avenues.
Pedestrian safety back to top
- At key intersections, sidewalks will be widened, creating "bump-outs" that reduce the distance for pedestrians to cross the street, improving safety for pedestrians and providing better definitions of the parking area.
- Signalized intersections will have striped pedestrian crosswalks.
Parking back to top
- To improve traffic conditions, the road project will eliminate some mid-block access to driveways on Lake Street.
- The additions of turn lanes and bump-outs may create a net loss in on-street parking spaces. However, the new design will add street parking on several key blocks.
Transit connections back to top
- Lake Street is a major connector to the light rail station at Hiawatha Ave.
- Lake Street bus routes, already among the busiest in the Metro Transit service area, have expanded to include limited-stop service.
- Streetscaping signs on Lake Street will direct bikers and pedestrians to the Midtown Greenway.
- The Midtown Exchange development at Chicago-Lake now includes a transit station.
- New bus shelters are being installed on Lake Street as sidewalks are replaced.
