The newly reconstructed intersection of 42nd Street and Cedar Avenue is getting a big thumbs-down from nearby business owners and residents.
Hennepin County closed the south Minneapolis intersection in May to install new pavement, left-turn lanes, sidewalks and traffic signals with audio cues. When the intersection reopened in early June, about 60 on-street parking spaces in the vicinity had disappeared.
"They took it all," said Jim Landvick, who runs the Cedar Inn Bar & Grill. "My customers are complaining. It's going to destroy my business."
Before the redo, both streets had one travel lane in each direction with curbside parking up to the corner. The tight intersection made it challenging for drivers making left turns and was crash-prone, with 88 mishaps between 2006 and 2015, said Tom Musick, coordinator of the county's Transportation Safety Program.
The county secured a federal grant in 2018 to address safety issues, and since 2020 conducted public engagement sessions, a virtual open house and a community survey to get the word out, Musick said.
But with the COVID-19 pandemic in full swing, the message apparently didn't get to everybody.
"We may not have connected with everyone. We need to improve on that," Musick said.
Julia Hatlestad, who runs a furniture store called Groovy's, said she only learned of the project this spring when she got a letter.