Built in the 1960’s, I-94 destroyed homes and businesses, schools, and connections to the things people valued, all to save suburban commuters a few minutes of driving time. By far the most severe and intentional consequences of the freeway fell upon the Black, Indigenous and people of color who lived in or near the highway corridor.

60 years later, I-94 continues to harm the residents who live, work and play in the neighborhoods that it cuts through:

• The highway caused investment and jobs to move into the suburbs, restricting access to living wage employment and everyday needs. Annual household income in the corridor is nearly $35,000 less than the Twin Cities average
• Air quality within the Rethinking I-94 project corridor is over three times worse than what is deemed healthy by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. The rate of asthma hospitalization near I-94 is three times the state average
• Life expectancy for a person born near the freeway corridor is 5 years less than the Twin Cities average
• Transportation options range from limited to non-existent for the 28% of households along the freeway who don’t have access to a car, a figure that is double the Minneapolis and Saint Paul average

MnDOT is now in the process of determining the future of the I-94 corridor between downtown Minneapolis and downtown Saint Paul via its Rethinking I-94 project. This project is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for MnDOT to repair the freeway’s harms and invest in economic and environmental justice for the communities who have experienced those impacts daily.

The Twin Cities Boulevard would repair these harms by reclaiming highway land and transforming the highway into a people-centered boulevard; restoring neighborhood amenities, transportation access, and economic opportunity to the community.

We are calling on the Minnesota Department of Transportation, Federal Highways Administration, the Metropolitan Council and relevant elected officials, partners and Rethinking I-94 project decision makers to:

1. Convert the I-94 freeway trench within the Rethinking I-94 project area (Hiawatha Avenue in Minneapolis to Marion Street in Saint Paul) into a surface level, multi-modal boulevard, with construction beginning by 2027.

The boulevard should include the following features:

• A restored street grid to reconnect neighborhoods along the entire corridor
• A new, zero-fare rapid transit line with electric buses, dedicated lanes and heated shelters
• Protected bikeways to provide fast and comfortable places for people to bike that connect to neighborhoods along the entire corridor
• Wide, tree-shaded sidewalks with safe and comfortable crosswalks that implement best practices for people with disabilities
• Safe and convenient traffic lanes for local drivers and freight traffic
• Linear park space to be designed by the community

2. Adopt the outlined community benchmarks and policies and integrate them into the project. These will ensure that the benefits of the transformation will prioritize those who have been harmed by I-94 and that displacement and gentrification does not result.

These policies and benchmarks include:

• Placing reclaimed highway land and adjoining parcels of publicly owned land in a publicly held land trust that encompasses the entire project corridor. This land will be used to bring reparative, community guided investment to neighborhoods along the corridor, including housing, businesses and greenspace
• Establishing a commercial land trust to prioritize opportunities for local BIPOC entrepreneurs and business owners
• Create a local business support fund to support existing businesses throughout the construction process
• Implement robust anti-displacement policies within the corridor, including rent control, TOPA, “right-to-cure”, inclusionary zoning and a rental assistance fund.
• Setting clear goals for inclusive hiring and project labor hours, prioritizing people from surrounding neighborhoods, people of color, women and people with a physical and/or cognitive disability
• A transparent and accessible planning process with clear benchmarks for public engagement and community consent

This a working vision that is rooted in a community-centered planning and refinement process. We commit to a racial justice frame and restorative approach that intentionally directs economic, social and environmental benefits of highway removal to those who have been most impacted by the repeated infrastructure injustices; Black, low-wealth communities of color along the project corridor.