News

On April 13, the House heard the “Transit for a Vibrant Metro” Act, led by Rep. Jones (DFL, 61A), and developed in close coordination with Our Streets, Move Minnesota, and the Sierra Club North Star chapter. HF 4449 establishes a new framework for coordinating transit planning, street reconstruction projects, and land use in the Twin Cities Metropolitan area. The bill was laid over amongst other bills introduced in the House. Additionally, Senate Transportation leaders and Our Streets led a Transportation Reform Hearing with other advocates on Monday, April 20.

The highly anticipated Open Streets Minneapolis™ street festival, which closes city streets to motor vehicle traffic, is returning to Lyndale Avenue South on Sunday, June 7, 2026. Our Streets is excited to bring back the Open Streets Minneapolis™ event that residents know and love.

Four representatives from coalition member organizations were able to personally share their stories as residents and advocates. Many attendees have been working on this project for numerous years. This was an opportunity to share updates on the project as they relate to the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s own process for redesigning the Olson Memorial Highway corridor.

On April 8th, the House Transportation Committee, chaired by Representative Koznick (GOP, 57A), invited MnDOT to present on the greenhouse gas emissions assessment and mitigation process established under state law. The hearing was set up as a lopsided conversation, with most of it focused on opposition to the law and a very limited opportunity for committee members, advocates, and the public to weigh in and offer support for the bill. 

The 2026 legislative session has reached its midpoint. Committee deadlines to introduce and hear bills passed on Friday, March 27. The picture of what’s moving—and what isn’t—is coming into focus.

Our Streets’ advocacy and collaboration with committee leaders led to the Transportation Committee’s introduction of an author’s amendment, carried by Senator Hemmingsen-Jaeger (DFL, 47).  The amendment improves upon the strong regulatory framework led by Senator Dibble, Senator McEwen, and Senator Maye Quade and achieves several important goals.

Read our formal public comment sent to the Minnesota Department of Transportation on the Rethinking I-94 Scoping Document and Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW).

There is continuous development on Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAVs) at the legislature. Four bills were heard in the Senate, including a regulatory framework introduced by Senator Dibble. Additionally, several agency bills were heard and various technical changes and small provisions related to State Patrol and Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) were heard in the House.

Our Streets is seeking an artist for the 2026 Open Streets Minneapolis™ design. This design will be utilized on the poster, t-shirts, and other promotional materials. The chosen artist will be compensated a flat fee of $600.

This week, the Fix-It-First bill was introduced and a conversation around suburban transit “opt-out” services consolidating in the Twin Cities metro area also took place in the House Transportation Committee. In the Senate, a bill to allow trunk highway dollars to be spent to support local governments to relocate utilities may set the stage for further highway purposes conversation in 2027. Additionally, we hosted Our Streets Day on the Hill, where supporters came to the Capitol with us to advocate for people-first transportation.