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Community, Initiatives

Over 100 Supporters Join Bike Rally and Ride to Advocate for a Livable Lyndale

A group of close to 100 people holding handmade signs, many wearing bike helmets and raising their arms at to signal joy and energy for a Livable Lyndale
Photo by Steve Woit

Building on the momentum of National Bike Month, more than 100 advocates and community members came together this week for a dynamic bike ride and rally to show strong support for dedicated bike lanes and bus lanes on Lyndale Avenue South in Minneapolis. 

Hennepin County is currently gathering feedback about how to reconstruct Lyndale from Franklin Avenue to Lake Street—a process where the entire road will be rebuilt from scratch. This presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to redesign this section of Lyndale in a way that reflects the community’s priorities, not the past. The local show of support for both bus lanes and bike lanes on Lyndale comes just as a public meeting on the project is anticipated on June 11.

A Black man wearing a white bike helmet and bright green t-shirt speaks into a microphone inside a circle of people next to bicycles and holding signs for a Livable Lyndale
Photo by Nas Nourkadi
A young white woman wearing a bike helmet and orange t-shirt holds a handmade sign that says Bike Lyndale above a stick-figure family on a bicycle
Photo by Steve Woit
A man wearing a white bike helmet and blue t-shirt holds up a sign that says "My Other Ride is a Bus"
Photo by Steve Woit
A young white bicyclist holding up a signs that reads "Bikes Are Cool" next to a young Black bicyclist with a sign that says "I Love Livable Lyndale"
Photo by Steve Woit
A young white couple wearing bike helmets and bright green t-shirts hold a sign that reads "Build Streets for PEOPLE"
Photo by Steve Woit
A man with a shaved head smiles next to two young children wearing bike helmets in a black bike trailer
Photo by Steve Woit
A Black man wearing a bright green Livable Lyndale t-shirt and a white bike helmet speaks to a gorup of volunteers
Photo by Steve Woit
A vibrant group of bicyclists on a tree-lined street, with one rider blowing bubbles above his head
Photo by Steve Woit
A young Black man wearing a white t-shirt and dark bike helmet at the front of a group of bicyclists with his fist to his heart in a gesture of affirmation
Photo by Nas Nourkadi
A group of bicyclists riding on the street, including several young people
Photo by Nas Nourkadi
A group of bicyclists on a city street, one raising his arm to the camera
Photo by Nas Nourkadi
A group of volunteers getting ready on the sidewalk on Lyndale Avenue
Photo by Nas Nourkadi

Livable Lyndale, a volunteer campaign supported by Move Minnesota, is working together to create a better street where neighbors and visitors can linger, businesses can thrive, and everyone can get around. With the support of over 1,000 petition signers and counting, the local campaign is advocating for a reconstruction of the street that will:

On May 29, community supporters gathered for a rally featuring music and local speakers at the Painter Park Tennis Courts before riding the Lyndale reconstruction route in a joyful bike caravan. Organized by Move Minnesota and Livable Lyndale, the event was co-hosted by the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota, the Joyful Riders Club, and Slow Roll Twin Cities. 

A white woman with curly hair wearing pink sunglasses and a bright green t-shirt talking to a group of volunteers at an outdoor rally
Julie Johnson, Move Minnesota Senior Community Organizer (Photo by Steve Woit)

“Whether we walk, roll, bike, or bus, we all want to feel safe on our community streets. Especially on major streets like Lyndale Avenue South, which is at the heart of South Minneapolis,” Julie Johnson, Move Minnesota’s Senior Community Organizer, said at the rally. “We’re here today to show Hennepin County there is strong and broad support for a redesign that plans for people, not the past. A redesign that includes dedicated space for both bus lanes AND bike lanes so we can create a thriving future that cultivates neighborhood connection, boosts local businesses, and safeguards our climate future.” 

With Hennepin County’s redesign plans still to come, Livable Lyndale volunteers continue to build awareness and support for both bus lanes and bike lanes through local outreach and conversations with people up and down the corridor. An overwhelming majority of the group’s petition signatures come from within ten blocks of the Lyndale reconstruction zone. More than 100 people also came to show their support at the first Livable Lyndale rally in early March. 

Learn more about the campaign here.