Residents split at Edina City Hall over Wooddale Avenue protected bike lanes

Dozens of residents filled Edina City Hall on June 2 to urge the council to either adopt fully protected bike lanes on Wooddale Avenue or to preserve on‑street parking and pursue compromise designs.

Speakers included members of the Edina Transportation Commission, parents who described riding with children, long‑time residents and commuters, and transportation advocates. Proponents — including Taylor Brushwin and Jake Vanderel from the Transportation Commission — argued that protected lanes with physical separation (curbs, concrete elements or flex posts) are “data‑proven” to reduce vehicle and bicycle crashes and to increase ridership. They framed the project as a practical way to lower speeds via design changes and as an important feeder to broader projects such as the new Roslin Bridge.

Opponents, many of whom live on or near Wooddale, presented data and neighborhood feedback showing substantial resistance to removing parking: one resident said a city survey of 247 respondents showed 73% opposed eliminating parking on the corridor segment. Opponents raised concerns that most crashes on Wooddale occur at intersections (not mid‑block) and argued that painted/shared lanes with careful enforcement and intersection improvements could better address safety without shifting burdens onto adjacent homeowners.

Several speakers pressed the city for a middle ground: maintain parking on one side of the street while providing protected lanes on the other, use buffers and bollards rather than curb removal, and ensure maintenance (notably winter snow removal) so lanes remain usable year‑round. Others asked for more rapid implementation of the 2018 bike and pedestrian master plan, pointing out the city has built roughly 2.5 miles of bikeways since 2018 and that, at the current pace, full implementation would take decades.

Council members did not take formal action on Wooddale at the June 2 session; staff later told council that the formal decision on the Wooddale configuration will move to July 21 after utility coordination delays. Residents were told staff will post follow‑up answers to questions on Friday and that the project decision will appear on the July 21 agenda.

Representative quotes: “If we want to reduce speed on our streets, here’s a data‑proven opportunity to do so,” said Taylor Brushwin at the microphone. Opponent Brian Mismash summarized his statistics: “Wooddale recorded 19 crashes in 10 years. That is fewer than two crashes per year,” and urged the council to focus on intersections rather than mid‑block striping changes.

What’s next: council asked staff to synthesize public input and return answers; a formal action or vote on Wooddale is expected July 21 after further coordination with utility partners and additional staff analysis.