Residents fear MnDOT’s Highway 252 conversion project could have devastating effects on BIPOC communities
The Highway 252 conversion project has been in the planning stages for several years. One of the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s current proposals calls for transforming the 7.5-mile stretch of the highway into a freeway, with new interchanges and expanded lanes to accommodate increasing traffic volumes. But as MnDOT releases its latest plans and reports, a cloud of concern looms over the project’s potential impact on surrounding neighborhoods.
According to MnDOT’s project reports, change is necessary to address growing congestion in the area and improve travel times between the northern suburbs and downtown Minneapolis. Highway 252 is currently a four-lane highway that runs through several suburban communities.
The stretch of road connects northern neighborhoods with downtown Minneapolis and is considered a critical route for commuters. While this is a road well-traveled, it is also one of the most dangerous in the state. According to MnDOT, Highway 252 intersections have historically ranked in the top 10 for crashes.
MnDOT has identified three goals for the project. First is to improve vehicle safety. Second, the agency aims to improve mobility and travel times. Third, the proposal prioritizes improving safety and mobility for walking, biking and rolling.
On the surface, the project is presented as necessary to meet the demands of a growing metro area, and MnDOT has stressed the importance of long-term mobility. However, many residents and activists are concerned that the conversion could have devastating consequences, particularly for the communities that sit adjacent to Highway 252, which include predominantly Black, Latino, and immigrant neighborhoods.
Attorney and longtime Brooklyn Center resident Stephen Cooper noted, “MnDOT has a habit of negatively impacting minority communities. This project will affect Brooklyn Center, which is the state’s most diverse community; Brooklyn Park; and North Minneapolis, which is a predominantly African American community.”
The concerns surrounding the Highway 252 project recall the I-94 freeway, which tore through the heart of St. Paul’s historically Black Rondo neighborhood between 1956 and 1968. The construction of I-94 displaced more than 650 families and forced the closure or destruction of nearly 300 businesses.
Some worry that the same forces that led to the destruction of Rondo — prioritizing traffic flow and infrastructure development over the needs of vulnerable communities — could once again be a reality with Highway 252 conversion.
MnDOT insists that it is committed to addressing the concerns of local residents and minimizing the project’s impact on the surrounding communities. The agency has held public hearings and outreach efforts to engage stakeholders and gather input on the proposed changes. MnDOT partnered with outside community-based organizations, such as Stairstep Foundation, to increase engagement and bring project information to Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center, and North Minneapolis residents.
Despite MnDOT’s engagement efforts, many residents still feel that their voices are not being heard. Tara McCarthy, a member of the Highway 252 Safety Task Force, has lived in Brooklyn Center for more than two decades. McCarthy and her husband, Brendan, have attended every meeting that MnDOT held regarding Highway 252 since tragically losing their 16-year-old son on that exact road in 2013.
“We wished they had done something before Jason’s accident, but of course we didn’t want anyone else going through what we went through, so we were glad to hear that they were going to make changes,” McCarthy stated.
“But the more we learned the more upset we became, because it was very clear that they were just trying to funnel as many cars as they could down the road without any regard for the surrounding communities at all. While they claim that the proposals they have will be safer than what we currently have, when you look at their data they don’t have anything to support those claims.”
Vehicular safety is of the utmost importance, but many critics of the current proposals are urging MnDOT to have a more comprehensive view of the issue. The Highway 252 Safety Task Force argues that MnDOT’s narrow focus on transportation criteria overlooks significant social, economic and environmental impacts, particularly in Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park and North Minneapolis.
The 6-lane freeway alternative would increase traffic volume on 252 from 58,000 to 114,000 vehicles daily, including heavy freight trucks, worsening air pollution, traffic congestion, and health risks — of particular concern among BIPOC communities with high rates of asthma and COPD.
According to the task force’s data, traffic-induced pollution is projected to increase deaths and hospitalizations by 30-50%. The plan also overlooks the risk of water contamination from accidents involving hazardous freight.
MnDOT began work on their Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in June. Thus far they have no concrete answers regarding how local communities will be impacted. MnDOT communications and public engagement official Ricardo Lopez stated, “We have ‘concepts of a plan,’ to steal that language from someone else, but the pieces are there. We’re building and putting these pieces together.”
Some activists and community members have raised concerns that the current project lacks a focus on alternative solutions. They argue that the region should prioritize expanding mass transit and lowering speed limits to reduce congestion, improve safety, and ensure residents are not displaced due to construction.
These concerns have gained more traction in light of the ongoing discussions about the impacts of the Green Line light rail project, which also passes through neighborhoods near Highway 252 and has raised concerns about gentrification and displacement.
While MnDOT has acknowledged these concerns, the agency maintains that the changes are necessary for the region’s long-term development. The department has committed to compensating displaced residents and businesses, though many critics argue that the amounts offered have been insufficient in the past.
Depending on the final build decision, construction costs are estimated to range from $240 million to $300 million. Acquisition of properties and relocation of residences and businesses will add to that already substantial project cost. Funding for the Highway 252/I-94 Project is planned to include local, state and federal sources.
City officials of Brooklyn Center are currently opposed to the idea of financially contributing to this project. “The city council passed two measures,” said Brooklyn Center Mayor April Graves. “We’ve created a no-cost share agreement, because we feel we shouldn’t have to pay for a project that doesn’t seem to benefit us.
“We also determined that we will request payment to supplement our potential loss of revenue.” According to Graves, Brooklyn Center could potentially lose $550,000 to $750,000 in tax revenue each year due to the displacement of homeowners in the area.
“The council agreed that we need to think of ways to best protect the city,” Graves said. “We have to plan for how to supplement our community’s losses should their plans move forward.”
According to the Potential Property Impacts report provided by MnDOT, at the very least nine properties will be forced to relocate, and at most 64 will be displaced. The proposed plans include significant infrastructure changes, such as the creation of interchanges designed to facilitate smoother access to surrounding neighborhoods, a modernized bridge network, and the possible implementation of noise barriers along sections of the highway to reduce the impact of traffic on nearby homes.
While MnDOT staff is adamant that their project will be intensively and cautiously strategized for at least two years before implementation, the potential losses loom over local residents.
Amber Blanchard, Minnesota Department of Transportation’s major projects manager, encourages citizens to trust the process. “We just ask for patience. We’re going as fast as we can while being thoughtful about the decisions that we are making, and we have the community’s interests in mind.”
Alexzia Shobe welcomes reader responses at ashobe@spokesman-recorder.com.
252 was designed to be dangerous and fails to meet safety standards. Would Jason McCarthy and so many others still be alive if it was designed to the safety standards? The base line of safety is the current 252 that was designed to be dangerous. The goal is to be Slightly sFer than the most dangerous stretch of road in MN. The intersection at 66th was the second most dangerous intersections in the state when they stated this project. The plan is to build the new interchange in the same location but double the amount of vehicles and increase the speeds. It will be the most dangerous interchange in the state. But it does allow eminent domain to steal the protected shoreline out of the national park.