All summer long, at every event from a carnival parking lot to an open West Broadway, AMA asked North Minneapolis to help shape the streets and the light rail line coming to its front door

This summer, Asian Media Access (AMA) staff and youth turned every community event into a chance to build support for two ideas that will shape North Minneapolis for decades: Complete Streets and the METRO Blue Line Extension.

Between July and September, AMA joined more than a dozen community events, most of them in North Minneapolis and several right on West Broadway, the avenue where the future light rail line will run. At each one, AMA helped turn streets and parking lots into places where neighbors could gather, play, and get a feel for a street built for people instead of cars. And at every event, the message was the same: the streets we use every day can be safer and better connected, and the choices being made now about the Blue Line Extension need neighbors’ voices in them.

Two Ideas, One Goal

1) A Complete Street is designed for everyone who uses it, not just cars. It has sidewalks that are continuous and in good repair, crossings that are safe and well lit, room for bikes, bus stops people can reach easily, and places to pause along the way. The City of Minneapolis has a Complete Streets policy that puts people walking first, then people biking and taking transit, then people driving. For North Minneapolis families, many of whom rely on walking and buses to reach grocery stores, clinics, schools, and jobs, these design choices shape daily life.

2) The METRO Blue Line Extension is a Metro Transit and Hennepin County project that will extend light rail from Target Field Station in downtown Minneapolis northwest through North Minneapolis, Robbinsdale, and Crystal to Brooklyn Park. In North Minneapolis, the line is planned to run down the center of West Broadway, with the avenue rebuilt around it. Once it opens, riders will have a one-seat ride to downtown, MSP Airport, and the Mall of America.

The two ideas belong together. Rebuilding West Broadway for light rail is a once-in-a-generation chance to rebuild it as a Complete Street. How the sidewalks, crossings, bike connections, and paths to each station are designed will decide whether the new line truly serves the people who live here, and whether walking to the train feels safe for a child, a grandparent, or someone using a wheelchair.

The Same Three Asks at Every Event

Whatever the occasion, AMA staff and youth brought the same three invitations to every table:

1) Learn what is coming. Residents saw where the Blue Line Extension will run, how it connects to the rest of the transit system, and what a Complete Street looks like in practice.

2) Speak up about your street. Neighbors told AMA how they get around, where it feels unsafe to cross, and what they would need to walk, bike, or ride to a future station. AMA carries these comments into the planning conversations that shape the corridor.

3) Stay involved. Residents were encouraged to sign up for Blue Line Extension project updates from Metro Transit, attend community meetings, and bring a neighbor next time.

Summer Highlights

1) August 6 | Twin Cities R!SE Community Carnival
The summer’s tabling kicked off in the Twin Cities R!SE parking lot at 1301 Bryant Avenue North, where families came out for games, food, and fun from 3:00 to 7:30 p.m. A parking lot turned into a playground was a fitting place to show how space built for cars can serve people, too. Between carnival games, AMA staff shared how the Blue Line Extension will bring frequent, all-day transit within reach of the neighborhood and invited families to follow the project as it moves forward.

2) August 22 | Community Violence Prevention Walk and Resource Fair
Hosted by A Mother’s Love Initiative, this morning event brought neighbors together for healing, hope, and peace. AMA staff and youth joined the walk carrying the AMA banner from the North Minneapolis Cub Foods, then staffed a resource table. AMA and youth then led a follow-up walk to show the power of community advocacy: along West Broadway past Shiloh Temple and Cookie Cart to the Minneapolis Public Schools building, then back south on Fremont Avenue and east on 18th Avenue North. When West Broadway is rebuilt around light rail, it should put people walking first, with continuous sidewalks, short and well-lit crossings, room to bike, and easy paths to every station, so that a street that is safe to walk is also a street where people feel safe.

3) August 29 | The Dozens — North Minneapolis Food Ecosystem Resource Fair
With West Broadway closed to traffic from Logan Avenue to Penn Avenue, the afternoon fair let residents stand in the middle of the future light rail corridor and imagine it differently. AMA’s youth ran children’s games that drew parents to the table, where the conversation turned to how people reach fresh food today and how a rebuilt West Broadway, with safe crossings and easy walks to stations, could make the trip to the grocery store shorter and safer. Residents were invited to share what they want to see near future stations and to stay connected to the project.

4) September 12 | West Broadway Open Street
For six hours, West Broadway belonged to people. Kids played games in the middle of the street, families strolled and biked where cars usually drive, and neighbors lingered at tables along the way. It was the clearest preview of the summer of what a Complete Street on West Broadway could feel like once the avenue is rebuilt for light rail. AMA’s table shared information on safe routes and the Blue Line Extension, and invited residents to describe, in their own words, what would make West Broadway a street they want to walk, bike, and ride every day.

5) September 19–20 | MinnesoThai Street Food Festival
The summer closed at the 5th annual MinnesoThai festival at the Wat Promwachirayan parking lot in St. Louis Park, a two-day celebration of food, music, and culture that drew visitors from across the metro. Across five shifts, AMA staff and youth encouraged people to leave the car at home for events like this: take the bus or train, carpool with friends and family, or bike. They also shared how the Blue Line Extension will connect North Minneapolis and the northwest suburbs to the region’s light rail network, making it easier for families to reach festivals, jobs, and each other without a car.

Why It Matters Now

Conversations at a festival table are small, but they add up. Every resident who shares where they struggle to cross a street, how far they walk to a bus stop, or what would make them feel safe at a station helps paint a truer picture of what North Minneapolis needs. As the Blue Line Extension moves from design toward construction, now is the time for neighbors to be heard. Light rail will change West Broadway for generations, and the people who walk, roll, and ride it every day should help decide what that change looks like.

How You Can Help

1) Sign up for updates. Follow the Blue Line Extension through Metro Transit’s project page and newsletter so you know when community meetings are scheduled.

2) Show up and speak up. Attend a Blue Line Extension community meeting, or tell AMA about the crossings, sidewalks, and stops that need attention near you.

3) Bring a neighbor. Share what you learn with family, friends, and your faith or community group. Every voice strengthens the call for streets built for people.

4) Try it out. Walk, bike, or ride transit to your next community event and notice what works and what doesn’t. Then tell us.

All these work continues this fall, and AMA looks forward to seeing you at the next table. FMI: amamedia@amamedia.org