Minneapolis Park Board will close some roads to block vehicle cruising during July 4 events

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board will close segments of some city parkways to cars over the July 4th holiday to prevent vehicle cruising, making the stretches safer for pedestrians and bicyclists to use during Independence Day events.

Dawn Sommers, a Park Board spokeswoman, said in an email that Minneapolis parks are typically busy over the holiday and that Bde Maka Ska Parkway has been especially congested in recent years.

“These temporary closures will disrupt the circular pattern of people cruising the parkways and will provide a safer experience for park users and pedestrians,” she said. All areas will remain open to pedestrians and bicyclists.

According to the Park Board:

— Segments of Bde Maka Ska Parkway will close to vehicles on the evening of July 3 and reopen the morning of July 5. West Bde Maka Ska Parkway will be closed from Richfield Road to Xerxes Avenue S., and East Bde Maka Ska Parkway will be closed from W. 36th Street to Lake Street.

— West River Parkway will be closed to vehicles from 4th Avenue N. to 11th Avenue S. in downtown Minneapolis, starting midmorning on July 4 and ending the morning of July 5.

— SE. Main Street will be closed to vehicles from Hennepin Avenue to 6th Avenue SE., from midmorning on July 4 until the morning of July 5.

— The parking lot at Boom Island Park will be open only to vehicles with disability parking stickers from midmorning on July 4 until the morning of July 5.

The Bde Maka Ska and Linden Hills neighborhood associations have told the Park Board that they support closing the segments of Bde Maka Ska Parkway over the Fourth.