On a hot summer’s day, Lowry Avenue bakes in the sun. Glaring and devoid of trees, it races downhill from Johnson Street to the river, a pale scar across the landscape. It’s also a major truck route into Minneapolis, Hennepin County Road 153, a National Highway System Intermodal Freight Connector Route, bike-less, boulevard-less, people-less, soul-less.
Get ready for a change. In 2023, Hennepin County and the City of Minneapolis will begin a rehabilitation of this much-used street. It’s a top-to-the-bottom-of-the-hill makeover, a once-in-60-years civil engineering project.
The reconstruction of the 1.7-mile stretch of Lowry will be divided into two phases and will last until well into 2026. The first phase, from Johnson to Washington, will start next year. Reconstruction from Washington to Marshall (Phase II) will follow when Phase I is complete. Although it might make more sense to start at the river and work east from the Lowry Bridge, Kelly Agosta, Hennepin County project manager, said during a Dec. 9 online workshop that funding for the Johnson-Washington portion was received first and that dictated the schedule.
The goals for the project are to make Lowry safer and more welcoming to pedestrians and bicyclists, enhance the streetscape for small businesses along the way, and calm traffic.
Lowry was last refurbished in the early to mid-1960s. That’s when the road was widened and trees banished. (A slide projected during the presentation showed Lowry in 1953, paved with cobblestones and lined with trees.) It was also the host of the No. 11 streetcar line.
Today, Lowry has two to four traffic lanes, narrow rights-of-way, limited or no parking, a few transit stops, unmarked crosswalks and narrow sidewalks that may be blocked by fire hydrants or utility control stations. As homeowners along the route can attest, there’s no place to put snow in the winter; sidewalks quickly become impassable.
The plan that Agosta and Forrest Hardy, City of Minneapolis transportation planner, presented is not much different than what was presented back in 2015, when folks in Northeast were first asked to give input. But it has been affected by the city’s Vision Zero Deaths initiative, which seeks to eliminate high-injury corridors by 2027, and the county’s 2021 Climate Action Plan, which focused on shifting people from traveling in cars to transit, bikes or walking in an effort to reduce greenhouse gases.
Phase I
East of Central Avenue, designers envision two 10.5-ft lanes for vehicular use, one in each direction. They would be flanked by a wider, 6-ft. sidewalk on the north side of Lowry and a 10-ft.-wide shared-use (bicycle/pedestrian) lane on the south that would connect with the new shared-use lane on the west side of Johnson Street. Boulevards with trees and/or native plantings would separate the road from the areas used by people. They would also be 6 feet wide.
On-street parking (there are only 507 parking spaces from the river to Stinson Blvd.) would shift to side streets. Transit stops will likely remain the same, but they may be enhanced with shelters. Planners noted that many Edison students take public transit and board and disembark at Monroe Street.
The left turn lane at the top of the hill at Lowry and Johnson will remain. However, by the time Lowry reaches Fillmore Street, the road will be narrowed to two lanes. Raised crosswalks on Buchanan and Lincoln are possibilities, meeting attendees were told, primarily to provide protection for users of the shared path. There is also the possibility of adding center medians to allow pedestrians to cross Lowry safely, with a pause between traffic lanes.
West of Central, Lowry will be three lanes wide, with the center lane acting as a shared turn lane. Converting four lanes to three has been found to reduce crashes by 44-55%, allows more consistent traffic flow, calms traffic and makes turns safer. Left turn lanes would be created at Washington, Jefferson, Howard, Monroe and Jackson streets and Central Avenue.
A shared use path, if constructed, would probably end at Washington, mainly because of the BNSF Railway bridge that crosses over Washington. A path cannot be constructed without moving the bridge piers, and planners don’t know if BNSF will be amenable to such a change.
Phase II
Phase II reconstruction, which would start in 2025, hasn’t been fully fleshed out yet – planners are still toying with the option of a shared-use path on the south side of Lowry or wider sidewalks and boulevards on each side. Shared center turn lanes would also be a part of the new landscape from Washington to Marshall.
A change in the road’s alignment, with a slight curve to the south built between 3rd and 4th Streets through the intersection with University Avenue, has been proposed. It’s a recommendation from the 2015 study to gain additional right-of-way in order to improve the intersection for all modes of traffic and to accommodate the conversion of the existing four-lane roadway to three lanes. In order to make the shift, the county would have to acquire land on the south side of Lowry. Businesses that could be affected include Olive & Lamb and Sterling Auto Care.
The redo of Lowry will also take a look at environmental concerns, especially flooding at the intersection of 2nd Street and Lowryunder the railroad bridge west of Washington Street, and in the alley between California and the railroad tracks north of Lowry. A flood analysis indicated that additional storm sewer capacity may reduce flooding at the intersection of Lowry Avenue NE and Second Street.
Questions from participants
Will the speed limit be reduced from 30 to 25 mph? It’s possible, but Hennepin County, which is responsible for Lowry’s maintenance, does not have the authority to designate speed limits. That decision must come from the state. Because it’s a county road, the City of Minneapolis has no say, either.
Will the slope at Lowry and Johnson be changed? So many cars get stuck there in the winter. The slope will probably remain as it is, to minimize the impact on adjacent properties.
Will any side streets be closed, as Fillmore is on the south side? No.
How will existing transit be affected? Planners assume bus stops would remain the same. They noted that bus rapid transit (BRT) on Lowry is a long-term goal for Metro Transit.
Why are the travel lanes 10.5 feet wide? That’s the minimum width a snow plow can fit through.
Will pedestrian lighting be added to Lowry? Plans are not down to the final details. Pedestrian lighting can be considered.
If you’d like to comment on the plans for Livable Lowry, go to https://asakurarobinson.mysocialpinpoint.com/livable-lowry#/, or contact Kelly.agosto@hennepin.us.
Below: Lowry Avenue will be reconstructed from Johnson Street to the Mississippi River. Work will begin in 2023. (Photo by Cynthia Sowden) A table showing cars per day in 2007 and projections for 2035. Livable Lowry Phase I reconstruction graphic for Jackson St. NE to Central Ave. NE. (Provided graphic)
