In the 1950s and 1960s, the construction of I-94 devastated communities across St. Paul and Minneapolis. Most notably, the predominantly Black neighborhood of Rondo was economically and culturally devastated by the land, homes, and businesses seized by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT).

In the 70 years since it was constructed, I-94 has colossally damaged our environment and public healthy, constantly polluting the very neighborhoods it initially cut through and facilitating the release of millions of tons of greenhouse gases into our atmosphere.

Because the highway is now decaying, MnDOT has to rebuild it and has created a “Rethinking I-94” process to solicit public feedback. Left to their own devices though, MnDOT would prefer to rebuild the highway in a fashion that prioritizes car traffic speeds over human lives. Their process has been extraordinarily biased.

TCDSA is leveraging this moment to advocate for the replacement of I-94 by a Twin Cities Boulevard—one that builds out our transit network (ideally by incorporation rail options), helps fight climate change, and invests in nearby communities rather than polluting them.