Keep Lyndale Friendly to Businesses!
As the founder of Vibrant Lyndale, now the Minneapolis Business Alliance, I've seen our group swell from 72 to 336 members, encompassing downtown and Uptown. Despite this growth, a prevailing frustration among business owners and stakeholders is the waning attention from city leaders to our needs.
Maintaining a tax base supportive of all income levels is vital for a thriving and diverse city. Yet, we're witnessing declining property values, a shrinking tax base, and rising crime rates, prompting population decline.
According to World Population Review, Minneapolis has a current population of 419,508. It is declining at a rate of -0.66% annually and its population has decreased by -2.59% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 430,684 in 2020.
Many city council members, aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America (www.dsausa.org), prioritize untested policies over constituent interests. This disregard for our concerns is evident in their refusal to support fair police wages and their backing of policies detrimental to small businesses and residents.
The Minneapolis Business Alliance aims to amplify voices often overlooked at City Hall. At a recent meeting, attended by over 70 stakeholders, the consensus was clear: with safety being at the top of consumers’ minds, especially in the downtown and uptown corridors, safety and accessible parking are paramount for attracting customers and retaining local shoppers.
While groups like Move MN and Our Streets advocate for bike and bus lanes at the expense of short-term parking, we urge residents and business owners to counter this narrative. We cannot afford to witness our business corridors deteriorate due to lack of parking and access, akin to the situation on Hennepin Avenue.
We appreciate the 4-3 conversion and love our already bikeable city — including the bikeway on Bryant just two blocks away — and advocate for additional green space, improved lighting, and tree preservation. Hennepin County's forthcoming plans demand community engagement to ensure our collective voice shapes the city's future.
Your input is crucial as we navigate these changes. The voices of working families and small business owners must be heard to preserve the city we love. Please take two minutes to sign our petition by visiting www.vibrantlyndale.com.
Andrea Corbin | LynLake Business Owner
Dear Council Member Cashman, would you please reconsider your vote in favor of the ride hailing service minimum wage ordinance?
I live in East Isles and travel for work, using Uber and Lyft for transport to and from the airport.
My spouse and I rely heavily on Uber and Lyft for ridesharing service around the Twin Cities.
Because of the ridesharing services we were able to avoid purchasing an additional vehicle for years, saving thousands of dollars in fuel, auto insurance and car payments.
The ridesharing services provide a critical service to our community, and the ample supply of drivers responding to rider demand is evidence the current economic model is working.
What special expertise does the city council have to intervene in setting pricing as opposed to allowing market forces to establish pricing?
Pushing Uber and Lyft out of Minneapolis will leave thousands of ride sharing customers without viable options, resulting in more cars on the road, more pollution, more impaired drivers and imposing inconvenience and transportation cost increases on Ward 7 and Minneapolis residents.
I urge you to work with the Mayor, Uber and Lyft and Governor Walz on a solution.
Brian Lammers | East Isles
