Sidewalks, Bus Stops and a More Walkable Hennepin

The City of Minneapolis reopened Hennepin Avenue South to two-way traffic on Oct. 31, 2025, capping a roughly $36 million reconstruction that rebuilt the corridor from its aging utilities up rather than merely resurfacing it. The work ran in two phases: Phase 1, from West Lake Street to 26th Street, finished in 2024, and Phase 2, from 26th Street north to Douglas Avenue at the foot of Lowry Hill, was substantially complete in 2025.

The bike lanes drew most of the public attention, but the rebuild also delivered what many pedestrians had asked for: wider, more consistent sidewalks, upgraded crossings and new bus stations. Hennepin previously carried four lanes of traffic plus on-street parking; the new layout has two general traffic lanes with turn lanes at some intersections, raised medians, a two-way off-street bikeway on the east side, and a curbside lane reserved for buses at rush hour that allows parking at other times.

For the Wedge and Lowry Hill at the top of the avenue, where many trips are made on foot, the sidewalk and crossing changes affect daily life as directly as the bikeway. The corridor forms the western boundary of the Wedge and carries heavy foot traffic toward Uptown.

The redesign deliberately reallocated street space, trading some general traffic and parking for transit, biking and walking. That tradeoff drew sustained debate during planning, with supporters calling it an overdue rebalancing and critics worried about business access and parking. Some Uptown business owners have since blamed the new layout for closures along the corridor.

With the work finished, the open questions are practical: whether buses move faster, whether crossings feel safer, and whether storefronts hold. They are also the questions that will inform how residents weigh the next corridor redesign already in planning on Lyndale Avenue.

Sources: City of Minneapolis,; Axios Twin Cities,