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Remember this?

Picture of Junket's storefront with 'road closed to thru traffic' sign (2015).

Yep. That’s Junket during road construction, circa 2015. Gosh, what a ride that was! If you’ll remember, we surfed massive disruption for the better part of three years by the time it was all said and done…

I’m mentioning this as context for discussing how we make long term collective decisions involving both short term impacts and long term consequences.

Back before construction started, there was a design option to include protected bike lanes. This option was vigorously opposed by some shop owners who feared losing parking spaces in front of their storefronts and worried that cyclists wouldn’t buy furniture.

As a shop owner at the time - and as someone who still lives on Minnehaha today and agrees that the bike lanes we have now are a major improvement over what HAD existed previously, I still believe we missed out on better, more child-friendly options due to fear and short-sightedness on the part of a vocal minority.

Why this, why now?

Hennepin Avenue is poised to undergo a similarly significant reconstruction, and decisions are being made following a public input window that ends tomorrow. Unlike the Minnehaha project, there are now city plans in place to guide our collective transition to a climate-competent future.

It is in the best collective health interest of Minneapolis residents and beyond to support the design option that aligns with what climate science has made non-negotiable: Option 1 with Bike and Bus Lanes.

Hennepin will be the first major arterial reconstructed since these climate plans were established, and it’s the only major arterial managed by the city: the rest (Franklin, Broadway, etc.) are the purview of Hennepin County.

Word on the street is that what’s happening in city politics right now is kind of like what’s happening federally when it comes to universal healthcare: Option 1 with Bike and Bus Lanes is broadly appealing to a strong majority of community stakeholders, but there’s risk that the confluence of moneyed politics & fear of change could sway decision makers go with a design that singularly sets the stage for missing climate targets in this city.

Why the urgency, why this project?

Because if we fail to use our own approved plans as intended, our hypocrisy would eliminate any ability to positively influence Hennepin County planners to use these standards when it comes time to reconstruct Franklin or Broadway.

The Hennepin decision presents a slippery slope with stakes that matter to all of us. Our kids deserve safer streets and fewer asthma attacks. They need us to be good ancestors - and knowing that the right decisions for them will build stronger community for us, as well, is something we can all feel good about!

I’m asking you to weigh in at this watershed moment. Here’s how:

  • If you live, work, or worship in Minneapolis, please contact your City Council Member to voice your preference for Hennepin Avenue Reconstruction Option 1 with Bike and Bus Lanes no later than tomorrow, Friday, April 16.

  • Rally support for the most ethical outcome: share these links with like-minded folks!

  • If you’d like more detail before deciding to engage, you can read a piece I wrote for Streets.mn - it went live just this morning (there are some other great letters there, too).

OH! And I had promised junket updates. Here goes:

I joke that bringing to fruition the totality of Junket’s infrastructure model for ethical post-carbon commerce is like overseeing a turtle race: I’ve got about a dozen different turtles all moving slowly and I nudge and redirect when they stall or start heading off track.

In order to help other people keep the turtles straight (because it’s hard enough for me!), I’ve compiled a bunch of our resources + social handles on a single page over at shopjunket.com/links. Goal is to help keep Junket product updates AND my environmental work linked on a single page in a structured way… one more turtle, back on track. ;) Some business decisions continue to wait until vaccinations are effectively and consistently suppressing COVID. In the mean time, I’m one shot down and grateful.

Ok! Gotta hit send. I hope you are thriving as spring weather brings hope and sunshine-

Julie

Secondhand everything. Ground shipping only. Carbon-competent, climate-constrained commerce: pre-loved products for people & planet.
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