Pedestrian improvements coming to Dinkytown

Improvements to pedestrian infrastructure are coming to Dinkytown in 2026. 

Minneapolis plans to install crosswalks, add roundabouts and construct protected bike paths to improve pedestrian safety and meet requirements for people with disabilities.  

Meadow Kinder, an employee at Nautical Bowls, said she often sees conflict between pedestrians, bikes and vehicles and that the area should better support bikers and pedestrians. “I think it’s probably better to be more for pedestrians and bikers,” Kinder said. “Just because it is on a college campus and there’s so much foot traffic through here.”

Minneapolis will hold a final open house at Arvonne Fraser Library on Tuesday to answer questions about the project before it enters the final design phase of the $2.8 million project.

Jack Drouin, a representative for the University of Minnesota’s Undergraduate Student Government, said investing in pedestrian safety is important for Dinkytown’s community. 

“Since that area has so many people living in a dense area, prioritizing their safety is the goal,” Drouin said. Last fall, the group passed a resolution supporting pedestrian improvements in Dinkytown, including support for reducing vehicle speeds and adding marked crosswalks. 

Minneapolis transportation planner Mallory Rickbeil said the Dinkytown pedestrian improvement project was prioritized after an analysis under the city’s “20 Year Streets” funding plan. It was based on a number of factors, including the condition of streets, their safety record and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

“The improvements that we’re making for pedestrians and other multimodal users is to reduce vehicle speeds and increase the visibility of other modes, particularly at intersections where we have seen high incidence and severity of crashes, which affect those multimodal users,” Rickbeil said. 

The project will update more than 50 pedestrian ramps to be compliant with the ADA, which requires that a pedestrian ramp be able to accommodate people of all abilities, including a tactile surface for visually-impaired pedestrians, Rickbeil said. 

Minneapolis engineer Spencer Evert said the city identified three intersections where the project could have the most impact: 

• The two intersections where 10th Avenue meets Eighth Street Southeast and Fifth Street Southeast.

• The one intersection at 15th Avenue and Eighth Street Southeast. 

The city plans to improve pedestrian crossings at the intersections by bringing bike paths up to sidewalk level and constructing curb extensions that make pedestrians easier to see. By reducing crossing distance and increasing visibility of street-crossers, the city hopes to improve safety.

Lizzy Woolley, a community ambassador at Radius apartments, said the influx of students creates a hectic environment for bikers and drivers, who sometimes fail to watch for pedestrians. She hadn’t heard of the project, but welcomed improvements. “I think anything that makes people feel safer or gives more space for people is productive,” Woolley said. 

The city also plans to install roundabouts along Sixth Street Southeast and Seventh Street Southeast that will force vehicles to yield and slow down. 

Eighth Street Southeast and 10th Avenue Southeast will be redesigned to include a bi-directional bike path on the right side of the street while allowing parking on the left side. The new bike paths will be protected by a raised concrete median.

Evert said the city applied for and received more than half the funding from the Metropolitan Council’s Active Transportation funding program. He said he’ll work with a team of city employees to finalize designs before the project starts in mid-2026. They’re targeting completion by the end of 2026. 

The open house at Arvonne Fraser Library on Tuesday will be from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. to answer questions, inform community members and gather additional context.