Photo Friday - Midtown Greenway

The Midtown Greenway is a 5.7-mile trail in Minneapolis. Used both recreationally and for commuting, the Greenway runs east-west about one block north of Lake Street. It provides cyclists, inline skaters, runners and pedestrians a traffic-free route across the city.

The Greenway consists of two one-way bike lanes and one two-way walking path, though they are combined in some places. There are some space constrictions because of the historic nature of the corridor, and it cannot easily be widened or modified.

To the west the Greenway connects directly to the Southwest LRT Trail. It also connects to the Kenilworth Trail, which in turn connects to the Cedar Lake Trail, providing access to downtown Minneapolis and the western suburbs.

To the east, the Greenway connects to West River Parkway, a part of the Grand Rounds Scenic Byway. Along the way, there is access to the Chain of Lakes, as well as the Light Rail Trail, connecting the Greenway to the Downtown East community. Here you can see riders and walkers on a bridge for the Greenway which crosses the Lake of the Isles.

The Greenway was created in a former Milwaukee Road railroad corridor along 29th Street. The rail line was originally built between 1879 and 1881.

Bike traffic on the Greenway has jumped 30% in 2008 over ridership counts from 2007.