Living on a one-way street offers many different situations and challenges. Having that
street also serve as one of the main thorough-fairs to downtown Minneapolis also poses another problem;

Are drivers traveling too fast on 1st. Ave. S.?

As a resident on this street, in the Lyndale Neighborhood, I’ve witnessed countless cars
traveling well above the posted speed limit of 30 mph. Being that 1st Ave. South is a one-way, I can see how easy it would be for a driver to surpass this speed. Limited stoplights and virtually no stop signs lets drivers build speed, and alone with the thought of hitting all those green lights, this scenario starts to entice drivers to add a little more pressure to the accelerator.

All the while, cars wanting to cross the avenue have to inch out closer and closer to the
lanes of traffic, struggling to get a view of what’s to come. I’ve witnessed at least one accident in which a car thought it was clear to cross and an on-coming car traveling north on the avenue struck them. The views can be very obstructed by things such as numerous parked cars, un-kept trees, foliage and snow banks. Not to mention that cars trying to keep up sometimes have to take a turn either right or left, way too fast, into a car that is too far forward just trying to get a better look.

So what’s next? I think that an awareness of cross walks would be ignored, even with
greater notification. This situation is potentially dangerous and/or deadly. Speed bumps would only cause unnecessary delays in emergency vehicle response, (Nicolette Ave. being of no use cause of its own ‘speed bump’ problem). So we’re left with taxes paying for a digital, radar sign that reads ;

Your Speed: XX mph.

It may get your attention and you might tap the breaks. The biker, in the new lane that
was added last year on the right side, might scoff as they blow through a red light, all the while maintaining that they are a valid, equal means of traffic on this, now shared road. This is causing drivers to move even closer to the parked cars on the left, which of course is a perfect camouflage for children moving about, unaware of the speed of these vehicles that cruising through their neighborhood. Recent construction on Nicollet Ave. have moved the 18 bus line to 1st Ave. This has added even more traffic and obstacles.

I feel no unnecessary things must occur and no additional money must be spent. People
behind the wheel of any vehicle, whether it’s a car, truck, or bike, must realize that the speed limit is there for a reason, and if your share the road you must respect the road, no matter who’s on it. This can never be taken for granted.