For a while, it looked as if this project would sail through. Now we're down to crunch time and suddenly we are facing the prospect of the project failing due to lack of funds.
My understanding after our July on-site meeting was that it was basically a done deal. Unfortunately I missed hearing the muffled "if we can get the money allocated" after many heads nodded in agreement about what needed to be done. It would be ridiculous for the intersection to be rebuilt as it was. But the construction is getting closer and closer to completed, and today I learned that the crews will be rebuilding the intersection exactly as it was before within the next couple of weeks if funding is not delivered.
It looks like we'll need some political muscle to get this thing done. Don Pflaum, the city bicycle coordinator, has been trying to scrape up a few thousand dollars to cover the cost of construction for our addition to the project, but is being refused by everyone: Park & Rec (it's their property), the Sidewalks Dept (it's their sidewalk), Hennepin County (it's their construction crew), and Minneapolis Public Works (they are managing the project on the city's end).
At Don Pflaum's request I have been refraining from lobbying elected officials for support, but now the time has come. Today I spoke with Sandy Colvin Roy at the LCC meeting and she was very supportive. Maybe she can pull it off.
