The Midtown Greenway is a

rail trail A rail trail is a shared-use path on railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed, but may also share the right of way with active railways, light rail, or streetcar ...

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

that follows the path of an abandoned route of the Milwaukee Road railway. It is considered under

segregated cycle facilities Cycling infrastructure is all infrastructure cyclists are allowed to use. Bikeways include bike paths, bike lanes, cycle tracks, rail trails and, where permitted, sidewalks. Roads used by motorists are also cycling infrastructure, except wher ...

. Used both recreationally and for commuting, the partially below-grade Greenway runs east–west about one block north of Lake Street. It provides

cyclists Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of Bicycle, cycles for transport, recreation, Physical exercise, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", ...

inline skaters Inline skates are a type of roller skate used for inline skating. Unlike quad skates, which have two front and two rear wheels, inline skates typically have two to five wheels arranged in a single line. Some, especially those for recreation, ha ...

, runners and

pedestrians A pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, whether walking or running. In modern times, the term usually refers to someone walking on a road or Road surface, pavement, but this was not the case historically. The meaning of pedestrian is dis ...

an almost automobile-free route across the city.

History

The Greenway lies in a former

Milwaukee Road The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (CMStP&P), often referred to as the "Milwaukee Road" , was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States, Midwest and Pacific Northwest, Northwest of the United States fr ...

railroad corridor along 29th Street. This corridor had been abandoned west of Hiawatha Avenue but is still active east of Hiawatha as part of the

Minnesota Commercial Railway The Minnesota Commercial Railway is a short line railroad in the United States. This railroad operates out of the St. Paul area with service to Minneapolis, Bayport, Hugo, Fridley and New Brighton. It is considered a switching and terminal ra ...

. The rail line was originally built between 1879 and 1881; however, as traffic increased, the city of Minneapolis mandated a trench be built between Hiawatha and Irving avenues in 1910. The trench, bridges and retaining walls were evaluated in 1989 as part of the Reinforced-Concrete Highway Bridges in Minnesota MPS, and then listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

as the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad Grade Separation. In 1993, the railroad property was purchased by the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority. Phase One of the Greenway opened in August 2000, starting at the intersection of 31st Street and Chowen Avenue, just inside Minneapolis city limits. Running between Lake of the Isles and Bde Maka Ska, the Greenway enters the 29th Street trench near Hennepin Avenue. Phase Two opened in November 2004, running from 5th Avenue to Hiawatha Avenue. The rest of the Greenway to the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...

opened as Phase Three in September 2006. In fall of 2007, the new

Martin Olav Sabo Bridge The Martin Olav Sabo Bridge is a bridge in the city of Minneapolis and the first cable-stayed suspension bridge in the U.S. state of Minnesota. Formerly the Midtown Greenway Pedestrian Bridge, it was renamed in honor of former Representative Mar ...

was opened by Hennepin County and the city as Phase Four, eliminating a dangerous

at-grade crossing An intersection or an at-grade junction is a junction where two or more roads converge, diverge, meet or cross at the same height, as opposed to an interchange, which uses bridges or tunnels to separate different roads. Major intersections a ...

at seven-lane Hiawatha Avenue.

Today

The Greenway consists of two one-way bike lanes and one two-way walking path, though they are combined in some places with space constrictions. Because of the historic nature of the corridor, it cannot easily be widened or modified. The Greenway starts near a Lake Street overpass, and continues to the Kenilworth Trail junction. It turns due east, and crosses Dean Parkway on a bridge. It goes in between Bde Maka Ska and Lake of the Isles. it passes over a channel and parkway connecting the two lakes on separate bridges. It has three at grade intersections, at James, Irving, and Humboldt Avenues. It goes into a trench, and passes under 37 bridges, with 20 (as of 2019) of them being built in 1916 or earlier. It has an at-grade junction with 28th Street, and then crosses Hiawatha Avenue on the

. The trail continues east, and crosses Minnehaha Avenue at-grade. It continues east and crosses local streets. It crosses over 31st Avenue, and 36th Avenue, and passes north of Brackett Park. It then leaves the railroad grade and terminates at West River Parkway. To the west the Greenway connects directly to what was called the Southwest LRT Trail, named after the future light rail with which it will share

right-of-way Right of way is the legal right, established by grant from a landowner or long usage (i.e. by prescription), to pass along a specific route through property belonging to another. A similar ''right of access'' also exists on land held by a gov ...

, but is now called the South Cedar Lake Trail overseen by Three Rivers Park District. It also connects to the Kenilworth Trail (which in turn connects to the North Cedar Lake Trail) providing access to downtown Minneapolis and the western suburbs. At its approximate center, on the west side of Sabo bridge the Greenway connects to

Little Earth Trail Little Earth Trail is an approximately , multi-use bicycle path in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, that links several neighborhoods, parks, businesses, and trails in the Phillips community. The trail begins at its northern end near the i ...

and the surrounding community, and on the east side of the bridge it connects to Hiawatha LRT Trail that reaches Downtown East and

Minnehaha Regional Park Minnehaha Park is a city park in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, and home to Minnehaha Falls and the lower reaches of Minnehaha Creek. Officially named Minnehaha Regional Park, it is part of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board syst ...

at each respective end. To the east, the Greenway connects to West River Parkway, a segment of the

Grand Rounds Scenic Byway The Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway is a linked series of park areas in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, that takes a roughly circular path through the city. The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board developed the system over many years. ...

that runs along the

. The

Freewheel Bike Center image:Freewheel en.svg, Freewheel mechanism In mechanical engineering, mechanical or automotive engineering, a freewheel or overrunning clutch is a device in a transmission (mechanics), transmission that disengages the driveshaft from the driv ...

, consisting of a bike store and repair shop, as well as shower and locker facilities, opened in May 2008 at the Midtown Exchange near where the Greenway intersects Chicago Avenue (now temporarily closed). Bike traffic on the Greenway has increased 261% between 2003 and 2011.

Future

A fifth phase, which would carry cyclists across the Mississippi River, has an undetermined completion date. Planners hoped to use the

Short Line Bridge The Short Line Bridge is a truss bridge that spans the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. It was originally built in the 1880s and upgraded a few years later by Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad and was des ...

to St. Paul, though the

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadi ...

(successor to Milwaukee Road) has not been receptive to the proposal. In addition, engineers have expressed concerns over the safety of the bridge. Currently plans to use the extra Greenway right-of-way for a streetcar line is also under consideration and has the general support of the Greenway Coalition.

References

External links

Midtown Greenway Coalition

Midtown Greenway Flickr Pool
{{Twin Cities Trails Rail trails in Minnesota National Register of Historic Places in Minneapolis Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad Transportation in Minneapolis Parks in Minneapolis Greenways Railway buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Minnesota Shared-use paths in Minneapolis