Fairview Avenue – Friendly Streets Initiative

This project is a collaboration between Hamline Midway and Union Park neighbors to imagine a friendlier Fairview for everyone, whether you’re traveling on two feet, four paws, or two or more wheels. Fairview is a North-South street in St. Paul that is a major connection for many people and is suggested as a bike route by the City of St. Paul despite very unfavorable current conditions for cycling and being listed by Mayor Coleman as one of the worst 20 streets in Saint Paul. A section of Fairview received an emergency overlay in the fall of 2014, but the possibilities don’t end with smoother pavement. We are committed to helping neighborhood voices advocate for additional improvements to Fairview tailored to community needs and interests.

Newly Published: Fairview Avenue Project Report and Appendix are now available.

Compressed file version: Fairview Avenue Project Report and Fairview Appendixes or View here via Dropbox. (Warning: large file sizes)

See blog posts related to our Fairview Project for additional details and photos. The Fairview Underpass is also part of our Better Bridges project.

Thanks to everyone who came to our three block parties in 2014 at Fairview & Thomas in the Feline Rescue parking lot in July, at Fairview and Selby in August, and in the Underpass in October.

Fairview North event at Feline Rescue’s parking lot

Bumpouts on Fairview with pedestrian cut throughs

Neighbors checking out the gallery of images

Gathering local knowledge on Fairview © Jon Pavlica Photography

Family of cyclists uses a bumpout demo on Fairview!

Xibaba – Spark Your Imagination at Fairview North. © Jon Pavlica

Birdhouse Rainbow by Lisa Hassebrock & Tod Skallerup. © Jon Pavlica

Birdhouse Rainbow at Fairview North. © Jon Pavlica

Feline Rescue’s new bike rack got good use. © Pavlica Photography

Demonstration Bumpout & In-progress creative crosswalk

Creative Crosswalk taping. © Pavlica Photography

Boulanger Pottery. © Pavlica Photography

Grant Boulanger Pottery Demo at Fairview & Selby

Grant Boulanger Pottery Demo. © Pavlica Photography

Mondrian-style creative crosswalk at Fairview & Selby

Fairview Underpass Gallery © Jon Pavlica

Fairview Underpass buffered bike lane demo © Jon Pavlica

Everyone’s Silverware by Adj Marshall & Lighting by Heather Cole. © Jon Pavlica

Water Under the Bridge living statue by Mira Kehoe at the Fairview Underpass © Jon Pavlica

July 19th Event Credits: Huge thanks to Feline Rescue, Inc for hosting us in their lot, Lucy Coffee Cafe for delicious food, Tom and Mira Kehoe and their band Xibaba, Susan Solomon for reading from her kitty-inspired poetry book Genius, Lisa Hassebrock and Tod Skallerup for bringing their Birdhouse Rainbow project, Rumble the SpokesCat, Working Group members Nate Kellar-Long, Erin and Jon Pavlica, Josh and Laura Capistrant, Steve Mitrione, and Julie Reiter, Margaret Owen Thorpe, Mark the Feline Rescue Facilities Extraordinaire, Nicole Jones of Kuk Sool Won, Grand Performance Bike Shop for donating bike lock prizes, our stellar bike mechanic, and everyone else who made the first Fairview event a roaring success.

August 24th Event Credits: Thanks to our working group members Nate Kellar-Long, Erin Pavlica, Josh and Laura Capistrant, Steve Mitrione, and Julie Reiter. Thanks and bravo to artists Jon Reynolds, Grant Boulanger, Greg Herriges and John Morrison, photographer Jon Pavlica, to Trotter’s Cafe for delicious food donations, to Sideshow Vintage and Blue Bicycle Antiques for welcoming our demonstrations to their corner, and to everyone else who came out and contributed to a wonderful brunch in the street. Special kudos to the local residents who helped duct tape our Mondrian-inspired creative crosswalk!

October 25th Event Credits: Thank you to our working group members Nate Kellar-Long, Erin Pavlica, Josh and Laura Capistrant, Steve Mitrione, and Julie Reiter, to Episcopal Homes for providing popcorn and planning meeting space, TRU PIZZA and Cahoots Coffee Bar for food and beverages, artists Adj Marshall, Soozin Hirschmugl, Lisa Hassebrock, Tod Skallerup, Mira Kehoe, Heather Cole, to Jon Pavlica for his photography, and to Avex for event lighting support. Thank you as well to everyone who attended and those who helped spread the word about our finale event!