Feedback from the public is helping city leaders pinpoint where to focus projects designed to reduce speeding and make neighborhoods safer.
It’s called traffic calming, and this is the third season of construction for projects that include speed bumps and traffic circles.
Caroline Zukowski is relatively new to her northeast Minneapolis neighborhood, but she remembers the traffic when she first moved in.
“I would definitely say there was a lot more fast driving, people kind of skipping stop signs,” said Zukowski.
Advertisement
Now, along parts of northeast Polk Street, you’ll find traffic circles.
“I would definitely say people are slowing down because you kind of have to unless you’re going to hit the middle of the roundabout,” Zukowski said.
Over the last two years, several projects have been completed as part of the traffic calming program. Since 2022, the city has been taking concerns from residents and, based on a variety of factors, selecting different neighborhood streets to install traffic circles, speed bumps or curb extensions.
“We definitely heard a lot of interest from the public,” said Tim Sexton, Minneapolis Public Works director.
Sexton says this year, they’ll spend $1.5 million on projects. The city is expected to address 120 requests from the public, up from 50 last year.
Advertisement
“I’m glad to see the city is taking a more aggressive approach here, we’ve certainly been needing it for a while,” said Tony Hull, who lives in Minneapolis.
Hull lives along Harriet Avenue in Uptown, one of the stretches set to see some work. He says it’s important to study what option is best for each neighborhood.
“Is it volume of traffic, is it speed of traffic, is it behaviors at intersections?” Hull asked.
Work is set to begin this summer and fall. Applications for the 2026 construction are due by August.
“I would definitely say it’s helped control the traffic and make things a little safer,” Zukowski said.
Advertisement
“A lot of people are impatient, so you see some behaviors that you’d like to change,” Hull said.
For a closer look at the projects and the dates and locations of upcoming open houses, click here.
The lineup has been announced for the 2026 edition of Snow & Flurry, set for October 10th and 11th at Underground Music Cafe in Minneapolis, MN. Judge, Merauder, and Arkangel will headline the two-day event also featuring 25+ more acts in total.
Weekend passes are available now, with single-day tickets and daily lineups to be announced later.
Passes are available here.
Line up in order of flyer:
Advertisement
Judge Merauder Arkangel The Killer Nehemiah Another Enemy Awaiting Eschiel Basic Needs Blistered Spirit Blood Stained Concrete Cudgel Direct Order Dose Enemy Of Man Enervate Ethic Eyes Of Sorrow Fleshless Body Lead Spirit Madman Meantime Neolithic Passion Self Interest Shits Creek Sin Sufrir Skewed What Counts Withdrawal Wrath Of Sanity Velocity
After spending months helping immigrant families weather the economic fallout of federal immigration enforcement operations in the Twin Cities, Smitten Kitten is asking the community for help sustaining itself.
The adult retail store in Minneapolis’ Lyn-Lake neighborhood issued a public plea for community financial support.
The strain comes after months of directing staff and volunteer time, resources and fundraising efforts toward mutual aid work that supported immigrants during Operation Metro Surge.
The store became one of the most visible community aid hubs after the federal operation began. Following the killing of Renee Good, Smitten Kitten began collecting groceries, diapers, toilet paper and other essentials.
Advertisement
“Nothing is going to change unless we’re going to do something,” said Anne Lehman, Smitten Kitten social media manager and mutual aid advisor.
The store also helped direct efforts toward rent relief for immigrants facing heightened uncertainty and economic hardship.
“People had been hiding out since October. They’re going to need things like diapers, toilet paper and water.” Lehman said. “We ended up opening our store as a donation drop-off stop.”
Community support quickly exceeded expectations.
“It felt like every fifteen minutes someone was pulling up in an SUV that just came from Costco,” Lehman said. “As soon as we got it, it would be gone because of how great the need was.”
Advertisement
Lehman said that the attention also created safety concerns for staff and visitors.
“We had to move where our stuff was because U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement had caught on to what we were doing and tried to intimidate us,” said Lehman.
In response, the store decided to move its operations elsewhere and began to focus on raising money for necessities. According to Lehman, the establishment raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for various needs.
The operation, in part, ended by mid-February, and federal presence in Minnesota diminished. As things began to wind down, so did cash flow at Smitten Kitten.
“There were a lot of weeks where we were cutting it close on payroll,” said Lehman.
Advertisement
In a social media post, Lehman asked the community to come help support the store by asking for donations, asking people to shop at their store or online.
“We are asking for help, but also all of these things that we’re pouring all of our energy into is not going away,” said Lehman. “If we want to continue doing mutual aid, we have to have a solid foundation of our business as well.”
MINNEAPOLIS — Real Capital Solutions (RCS) has acquired 3701 Wayzata Boulevard, a 308,681-square-foot office property in the Urban West End neighborhood of Minneapolis, for $34 million. Situated on 25.8 acres overlooking Brownie and Cedar lakes, the nine-story asset is 99 percent leased and serves as the headquarters location for several companies such as Tactile Medical, SRF Consulting Group, Regis Corp. and MOBE.
Originally developed as a corporate headquarters campus for Prudential and later occupied by Target Corp., the property underwent a comprehensive renovation and repositioning in 2019. Amenities today include a fitness center, conference facilities, a golf simulator, onsite café, outdoor gathering spaces, a rooftop patio, bike storage and direct access to regional trail systems.
