Lyndale Avenue

Last updated
Lyndale Avenue
MN-21.svg Hennepin County 22.svg
Maintained by MnDOT and Hennepin County DOT
South endI-35.svg I-35 in Faribault
Major
junctions

North end57th Avenue North in Brooklyn Center

Lyndale Avenue is a major street in the U.S. state of Minnesota that traverses the cities of Minneapolis, Brooklyn Center, Richfield, and Bloomington. A noncontiguous portion also exists in Faribault, part of Highway 21. There are several commercial districts along the street, including Lyn-Lake in South Minneapolis, Shops at Lyndale in Richfield, and the Oxboro area in Bloomington. Portions of both Interstate 94 and Interstate 35 run on the right-of-way of Lyndale Avenue.

Contents

Route description

Lyndale Avenue at the Lowry Hill neighborhood in Minneapolis, August 2018 Lyndale Avenue from Irene Hixon Whitney Bridge, August 2018.jpg
Lyndale Avenue at the Lowry Hill neighborhood in Minneapolis, August 2018

In Faribault, Lyndale Avenue is a divided four-lane highway with a 45 mph speed limit. Between Faribault and the Minnesota River, Lyndale Avenue has been replaced by Interstate 35. North of the river, the old Lyndale Avenue resumes in Bloomington. At the south edge of Bloomington, it is a 2-lane road, until 106th Street West. Through most of Bloomington and Richfield, it is an undivided four-lane city street. There are major commercial districts at 98th Street, American Boulevard, 77th Street (Kensington Park and Shops at Lyndale), and 66th Street (Woodlake Center).

Shortly after entering Minneapolis, the street becomes a one-way, to connect with Minnesota State Highway 121, a freeway spur connecting Lyndale Ave and Interstate 35W. After their junction at 56th Street West, the road becomes a divided two-lane roadway across Minnehaha Creek and north toward Uptown. Near the intersection with Lake Street, it becomes a four-lane again, a major commercial street which remains continuous until the Virginia Triangle (the commons with Hennepin Avenue). [1] After the Triangle, Lyndale Avenue splits, with matching one-ways on either side of Interstate 94. They join at Plymouth Avenue. The street remains four lanes until Broadway. The two-lane road ends at 57th Avenue North in Brooklyn Center, near the junction of I-94 and Interstate 694.

History

The street was historically a rural route from Minneapolis to Faribault, though most of that route has since been replaced by Interstate 35 and I-35W. The Lyndale Avenue name is not signed on these routes. From 1926 to 1934, U.S. Highway 65 traveled concurrently along Lyndale from the Minnesota–Iowa state line to Minneapolis and St.Paul via Northfield, where the road split to its various directions, later rejoining north of the downtowns and continuing north towards Littlefork. [2] Again, the route was not always known as Lyndale Avenue, however. This route also ran through the south metro cities of Lakeville, Burnsville, Bloomington, Richfield and along the east shoreline of Wood Lake before continuing into Minneapolis. The modern portions of Lyndale Avenue is designated as County Road 22 (in Minneapolis) and Minnesota State Highway 21 (in Faribault). Prior to the portion south of Minneapolis being upgraded to a freeway, it was also part of Minnesota State Highway 65. [3] In addition, there is a brief location north of Interstate 35W where a short highway is signed as Minnesota State Highway 121, which follows the old US 65 route into south Minneapolis.

Lyndale Avenue takes its name from Lyndale Farm, a 1,400-acre (570 ha) farm owned by William S. King. The name of the farm was in honor of King's father, Rev. Lyndon King, an itinerant Methodist minister of northern New York, who was named for Josiah Lyndon, colonial governor of Rhode Island in 1768-1769. [4]

Safety

Lyndale Ave looking south just south of Franklin Ave. Guerrilla urbanists vandalized a street sign to reduce the posted speed limit in 2016. 22nd & Lyndale - 20 MPH Speed Limit (24247560873).jpg
Lyndale Ave looking south just south of Franklin Ave. Guerrilla urbanists vandalized a street sign to reduce the posted speed limit in 2016.

The portion of Lyndale Ave between Franklin Ave and Lake Street is known for a high rate of crashes and injuries. The street segment was identified as part of the "High Injury Network" by the city of Minneapolis. [5] The intersection of Lyndale Ave and Lake Street is particularly dangerous with the highest number of pedestrian crashes in Minneapolis over a ten year period. [6] A large portion of the crashes happen at night. [7]

A pilot project in 2022 used a road diet to change the road from 2 lanes in each direction to 1 lane in each direction and a center turn lane. The pilot saw crashes reduced by 57%. [8] Select intersections also saw safety improvements designed for pedestrians. [9] Hennepin County is the roadway authority for the segment between Franklin Ave and Lake Street and plans to reconstruct the road in 2027. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicollet Avenue</span>

Nicollet Avenue is a major street in Minneapolis, Richfield, Bloomington, and Burnsville in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It passes through a number of locally well-known neighborhoods and districts, notably Eat Street in south Minneapolis and the traffic-restricted Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 65</span> Numbered U.S. Highway in the United States

U.S. Route 65 is a north–south United States highway in the southern and midwestern United States. The southern terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 425 in Clayton, Louisiana. The northern terminus is at Interstate 35 just south of Interstate 90 in Albert Lea, Minnesota. Parts of its modern route in Iowa and historic route in Minnesota follow the old Jefferson Highway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 494</span> Highway in Minnesota

Interstate 494 (I-494) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway making up part of a beltway of I-94, circling through the southern and western portions of the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area in Minnesota. The 42.94-mile (69.11 km) road is coupled with I-694 at each end and composes more than half of the major beltway of the region. I-694/I-494 also act as loop routes for I-35E and I-35W.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 55</span> Former national highway in the United States

U.S. Highway 55 was a north–south United States highway. Though it was part of the original 1926 numbering plan, it was deleted within 10 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minnesota State Highway 36</span> State highway in Minnesota

Minnesota State Highway 36 (MN 36) is a 21.718-mile-long (34.952 km) highway in Minnesota, which runs from its interchange with Interstate 35W (I-35W) in Roseville and continues east to its eastern terminus at the Wisconsin state line, where it becomes Wisconsin Highway 64 (WIS 64) upon crossing the St. Croix River at the St. Croix Crossing bridge. MN 36 is a major freeway in suburban Minneapolis–Saint Paul from its western terminus to its intersection with MN 120, at which point it becomes an at-grade expressway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minnesota State Highway 65</span> Highway in Minnesota

Minnesota State Highway 65 is a highway in the east–central and northeast parts of the U.S. state of Minnesota, which starts at its split from I-35W, skipping past the downtown Minneapolis core, only to resume at the intersection with Washington Avenue at the north end of downtown Minneapolis to continue north to its northern terminus at its intersection with U.S. Highway 71 (US 71) in Littlefork near International Falls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minnesota State Highway 77</span> Highway in Minnesota

Minnesota State Highway 77 (MN 77) is a 11.403-mile-long (18.351 km) highway in Minnesota, which runs from its intersection with 138th Street in Apple Valley and continues north to its northern terminus at its interchange with State Highway 62 in Minneapolis. MN 77 is also known as Cedar Avenue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minnesota State Highway 121</span> State highway in Minnesota, United States

Minnesota State Highway 121 (MN 121) is a short freeway stub in Minnesota. It is less than one mile (1.6 km) in length.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Street (Minneapolis)</span>

Lake Street is a major east-west thoroughfare between 29th and 31st streets in Minneapolis, Minnesota United States. From its western most end at the city's limits, Lake Street reaches the Chain of Lakes, passing over a small channel linking Bde Maka Ska and Lake of the Isles, and at its eastern most end it reaches the Mississippi River. In May 2020, the Lake Street corridor suffered extensive damage during local unrest following the murder of George Floyd. In August of the same year, city officials designated East Lake Street as one of seven cultural districts to promote racial equity, preserve cultural identity, and promote economic growth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 35E (Minnesota)</span> Interstate Highway in Minnesota, United States

Interstate 35E (I-35E) is an Interstate Highway in the US state of Minnesota, passing through downtown Saint Paul. It is one of two through routes for I-35 through the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, the other being I-35W through Minneapolis. Thus, both ends of I-35E are shared with I-35W and I-35.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 35W (Minnesota)</span> Interstate Highway in Minnesota, United States

Interstate 35W (I-35W) is an Interstate Highway in the US state of Minnesota, passing through downtown Minneapolis. It is one of two through routes for I-35 through the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, the other being I-35E through downtown Saint Paul.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minnesota State Highway 280</span> State highway in Minnesota, United States

Minnesota State Highway 280 is a 3.710-mile-long (5.971 km) highway in the Twin Cities region of Minnesota that travels from its Interchange with Interstate 94/U.S.Route 12/US Route 52 (I-94/US 12/US 52) in Saint Paul to its interchange with I-35W in Roseville.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lyn-Lake</span> Commercial district in Minneapolis

Lyn-Lake is a commercial district in Minneapolis centered at the intersection of West Lake Street and Lyndale Avenue from which it takes its name. The street intersection is the boundary for four official neighborhoods: Whittier on the northeast, Lyndale on the southeast, South Uptown on the southwest, and Lowry Hill East on the northwest. The Lyn-Lake Business Association branded the unofficial commercial district as "Lyn-Lake" in 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metro Orange Line (Minnesota)</span> Minnesota bus line

The Metro Orange Line is a bus rapid transit line in the Twin Cities, Minnesota operated by Metro Transit. The line operates primarily along Interstate 35W from downtown Minneapolis through Richfield and Bloomington before terminating in Burnsville, Minnesota. The Orange Line provides access to 198,000 jobs with roughly a quarter of them outside downtown Minneapolis. The route serves a mix of stations located in the center of the highway, stations near highway exits, and on-street stations. The line has features typical of bus rapid transit systems with off-board fare payment, articulated buses with extra doors, stations with improved passenger amenities, and transit-only bus lanes on portions of the route.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minnesota State Highway 62 (Hennepin–Dakota counties)</span> Eastern highway in Minnesota

Minnesota State Highway 62 (MN 62) is a highway in the Twin Cities region of Minnesota. The route was part of County Road 62 (CR 62) until 1988, when a portion of the route was inherited by the state. The western terminus of the highway is at Interstate 494 (I-494) in Eden Prairie, where the roadway continues west as CR 62 to CR 101. The eastern terminus of the route is at the junction with I-494 in Inver Grove Heights. Locally, the original portion of the route in Hennepin County is known as "the Crosstown Highway" or simply "the Crosstown," though signage with this name does not appear on the highway itself, but only on local streets adjacent to the road. It is also used as an alternate name, even by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT). The route is 18.6 miles (29.9 km) in length.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">County Road 122 (Hennepin County, Minnesota)</span> Highway in Minneapolis, Minnesota, US

Hennepin County Road 122 (CR 122) or County State-Aid Highway 122 (CSAH 122) is an unsigned county state-aid highway within the city of Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, crossing the Mississippi River on the Washington Avenue Bridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 169 in Minnesota</span> Section of U.S. Highway in Minnesota, United States

U.S. Highway 169 (U.S. 169) is a major north–south highway in the U.S. state of Minnesota, connecting the Minnesota River valley with the Twin Cities and the Iron Range. Much of the route is built to expressway or freeway standards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I-35W & Lake Street station</span> Bus rapid transit station in Minneapolis

I-35W & Lake Street station is a bus rapid transit station along the Metro Orange Line and planned B Line bus rapid transit (BRT) routes in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In addition to the BRT services, the station is also served by Metro route 578, Minnesota Valley Transit Authority routes 460, 465, 467, 470, 472, 475 and 477, along with SouthWest Transit routes 600 and 695.

Cedar Avenue is a roadway that runs from Minneapolis to Northfield in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The roadway is known as Minnesota State Highway 77 in the busiest portion of the route, from Minneapolis to Apple Valley. The portions north and south of this are county roads, Hennepin County 152 and Dakota County 23, respectively. Its northern terminus in Minneapolis is at Washington Avenue in Cedar-Riverside, though its alignment is briefly interrupted by an interchange at Hiawatha Avenue to the south.

References

  1. Harris, Marlys (22 June 2012). "Conflicted over Trader Joe's in Minneapolis". MinnPost . Retrieved 6 June 2024.
  2. "Historic U.S. Highway 65, Minnesota".
  3. Politics and Freeways: Building the Twin Cities Interstate System Archived 2014-02-07 at the Wayback Machine
  4. "Lyndale - City of Minneapolis".
  5. Otárola, Miguel (February 25, 2020). "Fight to make Minneapolis streets safer revolves around Lyndale Avenue". Star Tribune. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
  6. 1 2 Hoffman, Melody (May 28, 2024). "Dueling Visions for Lyndale Avenue Before Reconstruction Plan is Announced". www.southwestvoices.news. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
  7. "Minneapolis/Hennepin County Pedestrian Crossing Study" (PDF). Minneapolis, Hennepin County, SRF Consulting. October 15, 2019. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
  8. Potter, Josh (June 13, 2023). "Lyndale Avenue South safety improvements - 4- to 3-Lane Pilot Project". Hennepin County. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
  9. Brown, Kyle (31 August 2023). "Plans underway to make Lyndale Avenue South safer for pedestrians". KSTP.com 5 Eyewitness News. Retrieved 6 June 2024.