Efforts to remove bus routes and expand sidewalks to prioritize pedestrians along Nicollet Mall continue to drive by.

The City let commuters and downtown residents give feedback on buses potentially disappearing from Nicollet Mall at the end of January, CBS News reported. The possible removal of buses from the area is a part of several Minneapolis city design plans such as the 2035 Plan and New Nicollet Redevelopment. 

Minneapolis City Council Member Michael Rainville (Ward 3) said one advantage of moving buses off of Nicollet Avenue and to other streets such as Marquette, Hennepin or 5th Street is creating a more efficient and quick system for bus-goers. 

“The worst times of all the bus routes for service are on Nicollet Mall because it takes so long,” Rainville said. “It’ll improve the efficiency for the rider, clean up the atmosphere and give us a chance to really make Nicollet Mall into this great green, unique pedestrian experience.”

The Nicollet Mall and Downtown Transit Plan explores three different bus route options to make Nicollet Avenue bus-free by the end of 2026. Options include different variations of how to add bus routes 10, 17 and 18 to Marquette Avenue, 2nd Avenue and 3rd Avenue while routes 11 and 25 are on Hennepin. 

Minneapolis Downtown Council Chief of Staff Ben Shardlow said the Downtown Council supports Metro Transit’s vision to make Nicollet more accessible to pedestrians because of how frequently the community uses the area already. 

“We closed Nicollet every Thursday last summer for free public programming for food trucks to make it a pedestrian space. We close it for parades and for special events like when the gymnastic trials come down,” Shardlow said. “Every time there’s a big thing that happens, we tend to close Nicollet.”

Rainville said removing buses from Nicollet Mall could help revitalize the downtown area by adding greenspaces and more retail spaces for small businesses. Similar to the riverfront area of Northeast Minneapolis, Rainville said Nicollet Mall could showcase Black people, Indigenous people and people of color and small businesses affordably. 

“I want to showcase our neighborhood businesses in downtown Minneapolis and that will make us very unique,” Rainville said. “People will think, ‘Well, I’m going to go down to Nicollet and see what’s new today. See what cute little shop I can go to.’”

Shardlow said when Nicollet Mall first debuted in the 1960s, the space was known for its department stores and retailers but has since been home to more Fortune 100 and commercial businesses. The infrastructure of Nicollet Mall has not changed dramatically, which makes planting trees and adding green spaces easier compared to other areas downtown, he added. 

“People assume that you’re talking about a problem and it’s not,” Shardlow said. “It’s a great street with a ton of great stuff on it. We just want to make it even better.”

Making Nicollet Mall fully pedestrian-friendly was also a main goal in the Downtown by Design Minneapolis 2035 plan. The plan details goals such as 10-foot wide sidewalks, planting beds, a dog park and better public restroom access. 

Nicollet Mall encompasses Peavey Plaza, Orchestra Hall, the Dakota jazz club and more. These are the spaces Minnesotans already enjoy, Shardlow said, but he would like to make them more accessible for pedestrians.  

“I don’t think I’m going out on a limb at all by saying, hopefully, it’s just like a world-class place to walk and hang out,” Shardlow said. “Hopefully it’s a place where the streetscape is beautiful and the buildings are lively and activated and there’s a hundred things to do up and on the street.”