The City of Minneapolis is looking to add traffic calming measures to many city streets to slow traffic speeds and improve public safety through its neighborhood traffic calming program. 

Minneapolis will have an estimated backlog of 850 traffic calming construction requests from residents throughout the city by the start of 2025. Fulfilling all of the requests by 2025 would cost the city $15 million and $7 million annually from 2025 to 2028 to keep up on requests, according to Minneapolis Public Works.  

Traffic calming is generally a physical change to the road designed to slow cars down and thus make the street safer, said Ben Brasser, the principal professional engineer for Minneapolis.

Traffic calming requests come from the neighborhood traffic calming program, where the public can submit an online application for a street they want to see slower car speeds on, Brasser said. Traffic calming measures include speed humps, small traffic circles, curb extensions and mid-block median islands. 

“In the first two years of the program, there were over 700 requests that came in,” Brasser said. 

The program is only concerned with neighborhood streets, Brasser said. Streets owned by the county or state are not considered for the program.

According to Brasser Minneapolis Public Works will continue with city funding, and the city is looking to “strike a balance” between implementing the full design treatments and other, less costly options. 

“We’re trying to make the program go as far as possible, but it is still the reality that the number of requests out-pace the resources that are currently allocated to the program,” Brasser said. 

The most important factor in traffic injuries and deaths is vehicle speed, according to Minneapolis safety data. The traffic calming project is part of a larger mission to eliminate all traffic injuries and deaths called Vision Zero.

Executive Director of Our Streets Minneapolis José Antonio Zayas Cabán said the organization supports the city’s implementation of traffic calming measures because they improve safety for drivers and pedestrians alike.

But Zayas Cabán said the city needs to seriously “ramp up” funding for traffic calming if they want to achieve the Vision Zero goal by 2027.

“With these traffic calming requests going almost 100% unfunded, we feel Minneapolis is really far away,” Zayas Cabán said.

Brasser said the neighborhood traffic calming program and Vision Zero are separately funded programs but share the same broad goal.

“Our Vision Zero efforts focus on a network of high-injury streets,” Brasser said. “The neighborhood traffic calming is a separate network of streets.”

Zayas Cabán said it is also important the city engages and listens to the community’s requests so changes are made in collaboration with the public, rather than changes being imposed on them. 

“We think it’s really important to be designing and implementing these traffic calming measures in partnership with communities to make sure that it meets their expectations and needs,” Zayas Cabán said.

Additionally, many communities of color and immigrant neighborhoods have some of the most dangerous and car-centric streets in the city, according to Zayas Cabán.

“We feel, as an organization, that disproportionate impact means that those communities should be prioritized in terms of funding and investment before wealthier, whiter neighborhoods,” Zayas Cabán said. 

The city is also beginning a traffic speed camera program in 2025, designed to discourage speeding by capturing a picture of the license plate on a speeding car and sending the owner a ticket via mail.

Zayas Cabán said Our Streets Minneapolis supports design changes over traffic enforcement.

“They naturally lead to basically re-enforcing racial disparities,” Zayas Cabán said. “We believe that investments should be made in communities. We shouldn’t be penalizing people for the outcomes of poor design.”

Beaches on Lake Harriet, Bde Maka Ska and Lake Hiawatha closed this summer after the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board (MPRB) found high levels of bacteria in the water.

The high bacteria levels may be caused or affected by heavy rain or wind, time of day, beach wildlife, amount of people and physical characteristics of the beach. There is no specific date for when the beaches will reopen, but they will become operational once bacteria levels have lowered, according to MPRB Spokesperson Rachael Crabb. 

MPRB tests lake water quality once a week for the level of E. Coli bacteria. The level of E. Coli in the water indicates how likely it is for people to get sick from the water, according to the MPRB website. 

People can keep track of E. Coli levels and which Minneapolis beaches are open using the lake water quality map on the MPRB website. 

MPRB is not the only group that tests for water quality in Minneapolis. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) also monitors the water quality of lakes and watersheds throughout the state.

Kimberly Laing, the surface water monitoring manager for the MPCA, said the Agency tests the major lakes regularly on a 10-year cycle thanks to the Clean Water Fund. 

The Clean Water Fund began in 2008 and allocates 33% of sales tax revenue towards protecting the water quality of lakes throughout Minnesota, according to the MPCA website.

“Prior to the Clean Water Fund, we were just chasing problems,” Laing said. 

When checking water quality, the MPCA tests for chemicals like sulfates, nitrates and chlorophyll, as well as long-lasting chemicals like perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), Laing said. PFAS, also known as forever chemicals, break down very slowly over time and have been known to be harmful to humans and animals.

“We are just starting to implement PFAS monitoring for water bodies that are designated for drinking water use,” Laing said.

According to Laing, MPCA also tests fish in rivers for PFAS to prevent people from eating contaminated fish. 

Laing added every five years the MPCA randomly samples a set of lakes for all possible contaminants. 

The MPCA regularly works with volunteers and other organizations to properly monitor lakes throughout the state, according to Laing.

“The more people, the better we can understand the state’s waters,” Laing said.

People can visit the water resources and beach water resources web pages to learn more about lake water quality in Minneapolis, according to MPRB spokesperson Robin Smothers.

People can also help preserve lake quality by reducing lawn fertilizers, removing leaves and grass from storm drains and cleaning up after their pets, according to the MPRB website. 

These simple tasks can keep excess nutrients out of the lake, Laing said.

“Think of it as a vitamin,” Laing said. “You don’t want too (many) vitamins, but you need a little bit.”

Laing said it is important to always look for signs of blue-green algae, a bacteria that can cause people and animals to get sick. 

“It looks like pea soup or spilled green paint,” Laing said.

People can report blue-green algal blooms to the Environmental Protection Agency using the bloomWatch app, Laing said. She added even with these resources, it can be difficult for people to gauge if the water quality is safe for swimming.

“When in doubt, stay out,” Laing said.

Dinkytown residents saw lit fireworks aimed at apartment buildings, windows hit by fireworks and a firework lit underneath a car on the night of July 4. 

The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office arrested and charged over two dozen people for rioting while armed with dangerous weapons and fleeing police. An additional four people were charged on July 10.

Dinkytown resident Claudia Purdon said she heard fireworks go off near her apartment building around 11 p.m.

“I was getting ready to go to bed and all of a sudden I heard what I first thought was a bomb,” Purdon said.

The fireworks went off for around two hours, Purdon said. People were lighting fireworks toward her building that came “inches away” from her window on the fourth floor.

“My whole room lit up,” Purdon said. 

According to a statement from the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD), the police found online invitations on social media on July 3 encouraging people to come to Minneapolis to participate in “these egregious, dangerous and frankly idiotic acts.”

MPD Chief Brian O’Hara said in the statement that throwing fireworks presents a clear danger to everyone involved.

“It is dangerous to the people and police officers who were targeted, and it’s dangerous to the people committing these crimes,” O’Hara said in the statement. 

On the night of July 4 into the early hours of July 5, MPD arrested 30 people, all ranging from the ages of 15 to 23. No one was seriously injured in Dinkytown, and there were fewer reports of gun violence throughout the city on July 4 this year than in previous years. 

Purdon said she stayed awake while the fireworks went off.

“At one point I was watching, and the kids lit the firework and threw it under a car,” Purdon said. “It blew up underneath the car, and there was smoke. It was crazy.”

According to an article from the Star Tribune, someone throwing fireworks threw one at an officer and it landed under a parked car. When it exploded, it burned the officer’s skin.

Purdon said she was not in Dinkytown the rest of the weekend but did not hear about any more major incidents with fireworks.

Colton Emerson, a recent University of Minnesota graduate and resident of Dinkytown, said he saw some people shooting fireworks at each other near Van Cleve Park in the Como neighborhood on the night of July 5.

“As I’m walking past the softball fields and baseball fields next to Van Cleve, I just heard, like, a pop,” Emerson said.

The fireworks were about six or seven feet off the ground and people were chasing each other playing what looked like “firework tag,” Emerson said. Emerson added he did not think it was related to the events on July 4. 

There were no fireworks going off in Dinkytown on July 5, Emerson said. 

“There wasn’t much going on in Dinky firework-wise, but there was an elevated police presence,” Emerson said.

In two years, cannabis use has gone from being outlawed before August 2023 to being available for sale in retail stores starting in early 2025.

However, the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) has not finished setting regulations or begun distributing licenses to legally sell recreational cannabis outside of tribal reservations. 

Some of the changes made in Minnesota since the legalization of cannabis include implementing social equity business licenses and changing laws around what justifies a police search of a car.

The Rec Center, located in Dinkytown, sells THC- and CBD-derived products,  but cannot sell cannabis flower or any smokable cannabis products until regulations are set and it gets a license, according to employee Bailey Alberda.

“We get questions about it every single day,” Alberda said. “Almost every customer that comes in is asking for something smokable.”

Gov. Tim Walz signed a law in May expediting the launch of cannabis sales in Minnesota. The law allows social equity applicants, selected through a lottery system, to begin growing cannabis by the end of 2024 to guarantee supplies for when retail sales begin in 2025.

Those who received social equity verification can apply for the program starting July 24. These applications go through a vetting process before being entered into the lottery, according to the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management.

Eligibility for social equity verification is determined by many factors, including past cannabis convictions, veteran status or residence in an area with high cannabis enforcement rates. 

Jack Pfaffinger, an employee at the Rec Center, said the social equity program is a step in the right direction. He added that once people are allowed to grow cannabis, the next question is who can sell it.

“These people who put their heart, soul, everything into cultivating or growing, where can they bring their medicine? How can they get it to the patients?” Pfaffinger said.

In addition to the social equity program, lawmakers codified a ruling from the Minnesota Supreme Court dictating that police officers cannot search a car based on the smell of cannabis alone.

Under the new law, officers must use other tools such as observation from what they can see in plain view showing recent cannabis use or interviewing the driver to justify a search or a sobriety test, according to Mike Hanson, director of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Office of Traffic Safety. 

After cannabis was legalized and before this codification,  it was uncertain whether officers could search based on only the smell of cannabis, Hanson said.

“Many agencies were really not sure what they could or could not do,” Hanson added. 

Hanson said the Office of Traffic Safety’s biggest concern is impaired drivers. 

“Think about cannabis and cannabis products the same way you think about alcohol,” Hanson said. “Impaired is impaired, whether it’s alcohol, cannabis or whatever.”

Businesses like the Rec Center have seen more interest from customers regarding cannabis products since legalization, Alberda said.

“My manager has said it’s gotten a little bit busier since people are more aware of the laws now, understanding it’s legal, and getting more comfortable with using it as it is becoming legal,” Alberda said.

Pfaffinger said the stigma surrounding cannabis is shifting as people learn more about it.

“Things are headed in the right direction in terms of acceptance,” Pfaffinger said. “The community is going to have proper knowledge and a safe place to use and a safe place to get their medicine, and really live the life they need to live.”

Minnesota may not be the first place that comes to mind when thinking about wildfires. However, with over 17 million acres of forest in Minnesota and a rise in forest fires worldwide, efforts to educate people about preventing forest fires continue to heat up.

State programs like Firewise or the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) wildfire prevention program help educate people on how to prevent and prepare for wildfires.

Extreme wildfires have doubled in the last 20 years, according to a recent study. However, there are ways to prevent harm to homes and communities. 

Keeping communities safe through management and prevention

Intense and severe fires are preventable to a limited extent, according to Lee Frelich, director of the Center for Forest Ecology at the University of Minnesota. 

“You can’t really do it over the whole landscape, but you can do it in certain areas,” Frelich said.

There is a program in Ely, Minnesota to remove Balsam Fir trees from understory plants that fuel and spread fire to the tops of trees, Frelich said. Ground fires are easier to manage because they are “lower in intensity” and make it easier to protect homes or cities, he added. 

Indigenous people in Minnesota used to do prescribed burns on the landscape, Frelich said. These small, periodic burns helped clear the understory and protect communities from severe and intense fires.

Karen Harrison, a wildfire prevention specialist for the DNR, said Minnesota’s Firewise program also works to help people protect their homes and communities from intense wildfires.

“You might be removing brush, trimming your trees that are close to your house, making sure your driveway has a large enough access for fire trucks to get in and out of, lots of different things like that,” Harrison said. 

Harrison said natural occurrences like lightning strikes can cause wildfires, but most fires are caused by people unintentionally. 

The DNR has seen a decrease in wildfires since starting its wildfire prevention program in the early 2000s, which shares information on fire safety and avoiding sparks, Harrison said.

“You should stay by your fire,” Harrison said. “If you’re leaving, put it out and make sure it is out cold.”

With the amount of precipitation this summer, Harrison said the current wildfire risk is low throughout the state. Even though wildfire risk is currently low, it is difficult to predict what conditions will be like in the future.

“We kind of know on a day-to-day basis what the fire risk is going to be, but we can’t predict how many wildfires there will be or necessarily how large they’re going to be,” Harrison said. 

Assessing wildfire risk 

The DNR considers many different factors when determining wildfire risk including the density of smaller, understory plants in the landscape, temperature, humidity and precipitation, Harrison said. 

Minnesota has two main wildfire seasons, Harrison said. The most common time for wildfires is from the end of March to the end of May, and the second highest season occurs in the fall.

“The vegetation is drying out as we get into colder weather, so wildfire potential goes up again,” Harrison said.

Before European settlement, the forests in Northern Minnesota had more severe fires every 80 to 100 years, but that changed in the early 1900s as the climate got more humid and more trees were cleared for lumber and fire suppression, Frelich said.

By the end of the 1900s, the climate started to warm and conifer forests grew back, Frelich said. Today in far Northern Minnesota, the fire cycle is back to about 100 years.

“The question is, is that a step towards a new regime with climate warming where they will come even more frequently? Or is it just a return to the normal?” Frelich said. “I can’t really answer that question yet because the return of the higher frequency of fires in Northern Minnesota has only been the last 20 years.”

More than 30 Minneapolis residents gave mixed opinions on the proposed Minneapolis Police Department contract Monday, which includes a historic 21.7% pay increase over three years. 

A Minneapolis City Council subcommittee held its final of two opportunities for public comments on the proposed MPD contract on July 8. The city council will vote on July 18.

The meeting drew split views on the contract, with people sharing their MPD experiences as well as their opinions for or against the proposed contract. 

Some residents, such as Anne Nelson, expressed support for the contract. Nelson, one of around six people wearing orange neighborhood safety shirts, said aspects of the contract, like higher pay, would help the city improve public safety.

“We need to hire and keep the current police officers, so everyone can feel safe in their neighborhoods,” Nelson said.

The proposed contract includes a pay raise of 21.7% over three years, resulting in a starting salary of over $90,000 by July 2025. In a presentation before the period of public comments, City Operations Officer Margaret Anderson Kelliher said this increase would make Minneapolis more “competitive” in recruiting new officers. 

“We want to attract, we want to retain (officers),” Kelliher said. 

In the presentation, Kelliher reviewed other important aspects of the contract, such as more flexibility for staffing and withholding the identity of people filing public data requests on officers. 

In addition to the presentation by the city, Communities United Against Police Brutality President Michelle Gross spoke to the committee in opposition to the proposed contract. Gross said the contract does not guarantee officer accountability to justify a large pay increase.

“If you want the money, you have to agree to be accountable,” Gross said. “The conduct comes first, the raises come after.”

Other residents shared similar concerns, with Minneapolis resident Naomi Wilson calling the competitive pay increase a “logical fallacy.” Wilson said she experienced police brutality and inappropriate conduct by the Los Angeles Police Department and disagreed that higher pay results in better policing.

“This contract puts MPD about on par with LAPD (in terms of salary),” Wilson said. “LAPD is one of the most murderous police forces in the country.”

In August 2023, Los Angeles approved a police contract that gave LAPD officers a starting salary of around $94,000 by 2027. 

Minneapolis resident Noah Schumacher said the pay raise does not bring safety or “real accountability” to Minneapolis. 

“Many have shared personal experiences,” Schumacher said. “I too have been robbed, mugged and shot at — and that was pre-2020 when the police were fully staffed.” 

During the city’s presentation of the contract, City Attorney Kristyn Anderson said contracts are “generally not the place for reforms” and should be addressed in places that do not require negotiation with the police union.

Instead, reforms should be handled at places like the Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR), Anderson said. 

Council Member LaTrisha Vetaw (Ward 4) said if reforms were included in the contract, there would not be room to make changes to the policies as needed.

Gross said the MDHR and Department of Justice are not substitutes for reforms specified in a contract and the contract should go back to negotiations. 

“It’s more important to do this right than to do it fast,” Gross said.

Home to the Minnesota State Fairgrounds and the University of Minnesota’s St. Paul campus, the city of Falcon Heights’ unique placement allows for some great opportunities and uncommon challenges.

Despite the name, the St. Paul campus is not actually in St. Paul. With a population of over 4,000 people, Falcon Heights has been home to the University’s St. Paul campus and the fairgrounds since its incorporation in 1949.  

The University and the State Fair provide jobs and economic opportunities for its residents, according to Falcon Heights City Administrator Jack Linehan. The University itself is the city’s largest employer.

The city tries to engage with University students who live on the St. Paul campus including the families who live in the Commonwealth Terrace Cooperative, Linehan said.

In addition to the University campus, the city is home to the Minnesota State Fairgrounds, which poses some unique challenges for Falcon Heights because of capacity needs and additional stress on infrastructure, according to Linehan.

“When we develop road projects, we do think of the schedule of the University of Minnesota and also in our contracts we usually put dates and requirements that they need to be done before the State Fair,” Linehan said.

Despite the fairgrounds being within the boundary of Falcon Heights, they are not regulated by the city,  Linehan added. A state law approved in the 1980s restricts the city from taxing the fairgrounds.

“My understanding is that at the time, the city was talking about trying to tax the state fair,” Linehan said. “We don’t get taxes from (the fairgrounds or the University), but we don’t provide a ton of services to either as well.”

Falcon Heights’ State Fair task force, made up of residents, meets with officials from the State Fair to discuss issues like safety and firework schedules, according to a State Fair statement to The Minnesota Daily.

“The city also shares the results from its annual post-fair resident survey to keep the fair informed and to help improve our partnership,” the statement said. 

The task force started after the city held a town hall meeting following the 2022 State Fair, where residents shared their thoughts and concerns about the fair with the city council and representatives from the State Fair, Linehan said. 

In addition to the task force, the city has “quite a few” parking regulations during the fair, according to Linehan. These include signage restricting parking to one side of the street and requiring parking permits for residents.

“Most of the city is only one-side parking during the fair, mainly just to make sure that we have safe access for fire trucks and stuff like that,” Linehan said.

For non-residents, there are approximately 800 to 1,000 free parking spots available during the fair, Linehan added.

“For people looking for free parking, we are one of the largest free parking sites for the fair,” Linehan said.

In 2023, the fairgrounds also displayed signs that said “Please Be Good to Our Neighborhood! Pick up litter. Dial down noise. Be courteous,” according to the fairground’s statement.

“These signs were a hit and residents reported a noticeable difference, so we’ll be distributing more in 2024,” the statement said.

Linehan said overall, having the fairgrounds and the University campus is an asset to the city.

“We’re happy to be good hosts and good neighbors,” Linehan said.

The annual Twin Cities Pride Parade was not the only parade in Minneapolis last weekend. Over 75 people and their dogs participated and dressed in costumes for the 2024 Northeast Dog Parade on Friday. 

The parade’s starting point featured different stands including vendors from local businesses, a stand for volunteers of the event and a stand for dogs to register for the event. 

There were multiple water bowls set out for the dogs and kiddie pools filled with plastic balls they could play in as they waited for the parade to begin. The annual parade started on SE Main Street near the Merriam Street bridge.

One of the vendors, a locally-based pet food and supply shop, Chuck and Dons, gave out free treats and balls for the dogs to enjoy.

Dog owners were encouraged to dress their dogs in costumes for the possibility of winning Best Costume. Other awards included Best Look-Alike and Best Trick.

A corgi named Maximilian Bingham-Zellmer came dressed in a bright orange vest and yellow hard hat as “a homage to construction season,” said Tim Fisher, one of Maximilian’s owners.

Maximilian is competing in the Corgi Races at Canterbury Park in Shakopee later this summer, Fisher said.

Other costumes included a frat boy ensemble worn by a dog named Koda, his owner Meg Earnest said.

“I live near the University, and when we walk by frat row, he loves to eat all the pizza crusts along the sidewalk,” Earnest said.

Before the official start of the parade at 5:30 p.m., Mayor Jacob Frey and Minneapolis City  Council Member Michael Rainville (Ward 3) said a few words about the event.

Minneapolis Police Department cadets were also present at the parade to help keep people safe from traffic and escort the parade, Rainville said. 

“It’s so important to have those young officers,” Rainville added. “Those are city kids, they represent the future.” 

Frey said these types of community events are why Minneapolis was designated the happiest city in the country in a recent ranking done by the Institute for Quality of Life.

“Part of the reason we are happy is we’ve got these extraordinary community events just like this and opportunities for neighbors to meet neighbors and in fact opportunities for neighbors to meet dogs,” Frey said.

The dog parade occurred the same weekend as the Twin Cities Pride Festival, resulting in many dogs dressed in colorful, rainbow costumes.

Earnest said she was looking for something to do with her friends this weekend and thought the dog parade sounded like a lot of fun.

“We wanted to be out in the community for pride,” Earnest said.

As summer kicks into full swing, farmers markets around Minneapolis are selling fresh fruit, vegetables and other goods to their local communities.

There are 16 different farmers markets throughout Minneapolis, all of which offer produce and goods from local farmers and businesses. Many of the markets operate in some capacity year-round, while others only happen during the summer.

Here are what three Minneapolis farmer’s markets have to offer this summer:

Mill City Farmers Market

The Mill City Farmers Market, located near the Mill City Museum in downtown Minneapolis, operates all year and is open every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. over the summer. 

The market added 35 new vendors in the last two years, according to Mill City Farmers Market Spokesperson Maya O’Brien McLeod.

“There is a lot of fresh blood, new products that a lot of people are excited about,” McLeod said.

The summer is when vendors display the most fresh food, according to McLeod. In addition to fresh produce, the market provides free yoga classes each week at 8:30 a.m. and 10 a.m., she added.

The market also participates in the Minnesota Market Bucks program, which works in conjunction with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to make fresh produce more affordable for low-income people and families, McLeod said. When someone spends $10 on their SNAP card, they get an additional $20 to buy more produce, which can be used once a day. 

The Mill City Farmers Market is all about building a strong sense of community, with some of the same people coming back each week, McLeod said.

“All the vendors are so passionate about what they do, the customers can really see that, so they come back again and again,” McLeod said. “I’ve heard the quote a lot of, ‘This is my church.’”

Northeast Farmers Market

The Northeast Farmers Market is open every Saturday in the summer from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the St. Boniface Church parking lot.

It features a well-rounded assortment of vendors, including fresh produce, dog treats and hot sauce, said Sarah Knoss, a spokesperson for the Northeast Farmers Market. 

“We have many vendors that have been with us for many years,” Knoss said. “Everyone comes each week to shop their staple.”

According to Knoss, it is a community-based market with dedicated and supportive customers.

“It’s fun, everyone’s in a really good mood,” Knoss said. “You can just feel it.”

In addition to the outdoor summer market, it operates in the winter on select Sundays from November through April.

The market participates in the Minnesota Market Bucks food assistance program, Power of Produce and the Farmers Market Nutrition Program, Knoss said. She added that the Northeast Farmers Market is celebrating its 25th season this year.

“We’re going strong, we are a small but mighty market,” Knoss said.

University of Minnesota East Bank Farmers Market

During the summer, the University of Minnesota Office of Human Resources organizes a farmers market at Gateway Plaza outside the McNamara Alumni Center.

The market is on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. starting July 10 and ending Sep. 25. 

The market offers many different goods including fresh produce, canned goods and flowers, according to Laura Fiero, a wellbeing consultant for the University and manager of the farmers market. 

“We always have our Student Organic Farm as one of our main vendors every season,” Fiero said. “So you’ll always find fresh produce at the market.”

A new seller this year, MNmunchies/MNdreamArt, will be the first student vendor at the market, Fiero said.

“She has a variety of no-salt seasonings, blends, teas, soaps and other arts and crafts that she does,” Fiero said. “She’ll be at the market the first half of the season.”

The market joined the Minnesota Market Bucks program last year and will continue to participate in it this summer, Fiero said. The Student Organic Farm also offers a 25% student discount on most produce.

The market this year offers new vendors and two different bike safety classes on July 24 and July 31, Fiero said.

According to Fiero, the market allows the community to come together and appreciate the University campus.

“Food always brings people together and I think this is a prime example of that,” Fiero said.

Minneapolis has distributed yard signs to raise awareness of slower speed limits in neighborhoods since 2020, but it is just one step toward eliminating pedestrian deaths.

The signs, reading “20 is plenty,” encourage drivers to slow down on residential streets, Ethan Fawley, the Vision Zero program coordinator for Minneapolis, said. 

“Traffic speeds are the most important factor in traffic injuries and deaths,” Fawley said.

Minneapolis officially lowered speed limits on residential streets to 20 mph in 2020. With more than 5,000 signs distributed since then, the signs have become very popular, Fawley said.

From 2013 to 2022, there were 272 pedestrian deaths in the Twin Cities metro area, and in 2022,  7,522 people in the U.S. were hit and killed while walking, according to a study conducted by Smart Growth America.

Lower speed limits and other vehicle slowing methods are part of a larger project in Minneapolis, called the Vision Zero Action Plan, which aims to lower pedestrian fatalities to zero in ten years. It originates from a bigger initiative, the Vision Zero Network, which aims to eliminate pedestrian deaths worldwide.

Carly Ellefsen, a spokesperson for Our Streets Minneapolis, an organization in the Twin Cities that promotes safe and equitable street designs, said the city could do more to make streets safer when roads are under construction.

“We aren’t against the ‘20 is plenty’ signage, but to me, it’s interesting that decision-makers are handing them out, because to me it’s a sign they have a lot of work to do,” Ellefsen said. 

Narrowing lanes, curve extensions or bump-outs, asphalt art and raised crosswalks are all street designs that force cars to slow down and lower the likelihood of traffic deaths, according to Ellefsen.

“I think a lot of people think Vision Zero isn’t possible, but it is and it’s a traffic engineering and policy choice,” Ellefsen said. 

Hoboken, New Jersey is a great example of Vision Zero’s success, Ellefsen added. The city has not had a traffic death in seven years since implementing designs like narrower lanes.

“It’s a really good example of traffic calming measures that prioritize pedestrian safety,” Ellefsen said.

Our Streets Minneapolis has worked to get community members involved and heard in the street planning process, according to Ellefsen.

“It’s hard because often, the decision makers don’t make (community input) easy, and if you’re a working-class person, you don’t often have the time to get engaged,” Ellefsen said.

According to Ellefsen, one way to get involved is by attending street project open houses and other local events. The Our Streets event series, Imagine, aims to get people to celebrate their neighborhoods and get interested in the future design of their streets.

“Honestly, the best (way to get involved) is contacting those decision makers, city council members, mayor and whoever is responsible for the street redesign,” Ellefsen said.

Along with the “20 is plenty” signs, Minneapolis will begin testing out the traffic speed camera pilot, Fawley said. 

Set to begin in 2025, the pilot program is designed to discourage speeding by capturing a picture of the license plate on a speeding car and sending the owner a ticket via mail.

Also beginning next year, the city will do a full analysis on the effectiveness of lower speed limits on pedestrian safety in Minneapolis, Fawley said.

According to Ellefsen, ethical traffic engineering in street design prioritizes pedestrian safety.

“People shouldn’t have to beg or take surveys to get these things,” Ellefsen said.