We showed up in numbers to demand accountability — and our decision makers made public commitments. That’s the power of putting our ideas on the record and making our voices heard.
Yesterday, West Siders testified at the public hearing on the Robert Street Reconstruction Plan that the Minnesota Department of Transportation submitted to the City of Saint Paul last month. The plan for a multi-modal transformation of the dangerous and deteriorating thoroughfare has been a years-long process, not just by MnDOT but by WSCO staff and volunteers who have connected with hundreds of West Siders about the $50 million project.
This week, the clock started ticking on 90 days for the city to pass a resolution of municipal consent for the project — or let it move forward as proposed by MnDOT. While we deserve the investment and the improvements it will bring, without intentional safeguards, this project could displace the very people that it's intended to benefit. So WSCO created the Robert Street Accountability Taskforce to ensure that our voices and our priorities are included before, during and after construction.
We know that taskforce will be all the more powerful if it’s explicitly included in the city’s resolution for municipal consent. And, thanks to our collective action, multiple councilmembers went on the record with their support, including City Council President and Ward 2 Councilmember, Rebecca Noecker.
“This is the kind of investment that we desperately need and have needed and we also need to make sure that this investment is done right,” Noecker said. “As a neighbor, I know: We need to make it safer and more accessible for people in all forms of transit crossing the street. And we need to make sure that this work benefits the businesses and the neighbors who are there now, not just the businesses and neighbors who will hopefully come to our community in the future. So I fully support the concept of the Robert Street accountability task force. I'm committing again publicly today to be part of that taskforce, my office and me personally, and to continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with the community as this work moves forward.”
Noecker also acknowledged that years of construction will cause disruptions to our daily lives and potentially threaten the sustainability of local businesses. Fortunately, in addition to city leaders, we also got a strong public commitment from MnDOT to be an active member of the Robert Street Accountability Taskforce.
“This is a huge project replacing all the infrastructure,” said Chris Bowers, study manager at MnDOT and leader on the Robert Street Project. “It has a huge impact on the community, and that's something we want to work to try to get right. I want to acknowledge that another project MnDOT did this year on Arcade has not gone well. We need to learn some lessons from that and apply them to this project to do better. One idea the West Side Community Organization had was developing an accountability task force to help us figure out how to address some of these challenges. We're here for that. We're going to commit to that. We're excited to be a part of that. I think that's one of the ways we can do better on Robert Street.”
So what exactly will the Taskforce do? We envision this group meeting at least twice per month to:
> Create an ongoing space to share important information with other stakeholders and the community
> Create accountable relationships to ensure problems are solved quickly as issues arise
> Advise and consent on major decisions throughout construction —like selecting a contractor
> Hold the project accountable to community demands, leveraging Equitable Development Scorecard as a guiding approach and values
Several of the taskforce members attended the hearing and shared why this project is so important to them, including youth leader Raniya Abawari. “I’ve been living on the corridor of Robert street for the past 18 years as a resident in Common Bond’s Torre De San Miguel housing,” Raniya told the council. “Across Robert Street lies key youth establishments, like Neighborhood House and local corner shops. My friends and I often fear for our safety crossing these streets due to the unsafe roads and lack of pedestrian infrastructure. I’m just here to speak to the importance of having this specific taskforce so we can ensure we create a safer West Side for the future.”
A business owner on Robert Street and accountability taskforce member, Jose Rojas said he’s supportive of the project and the needed safety improvements. But construction could be a barrier to his customers. “We do provide services to the Latino community in Wisconsin, the metro, the state,” he said, ”so accessibility [with the construction] will create some uncertainty about how they can get there.”
Joy Sorensen Navarre, another Robert Street business owner and taskforce member, emphasized the need for continued conversation as the plan is finalized. “There’s a real desire from the businesses and the community to have a both/and solution [that includes] wider sidewalks for people in wheelchairs and families with strollers and kids — and bike lanes,” she said. “Both of those are important to us and that design hasn’t been completed yet. That’s still an open decision and we’ll be working together to find a both/and solution to that.”
Nan Kafka, a taskforce member who’s been involved in the Destination Robert Street campaign since January 2024, shared her experiences on the street — and West Siders’ hopes for the project.
“I've experienced Metro Transit and school bus drivers ignoring me crossing the street in a crosswalk. They seem to be on autopilot, racing to get to the next light as if the street is an unpopulated moonscape,” she said. “West Siders want a project that makes Robert Street safe and more beautiful, a place to enjoy, not just pass through. I strongly urge the city council to craft a municipal consent resolution that officially recognizes the Roberts Street Accountability Taskforce that will make sure information is shared and problems are solved so the revitalization of Robert Street benefits the people here now and generations of the West Siders to come.”
So what’s next for municipal consent? City staff said they would bring a resolution before the city council in several weeks. We’ll be ready to show up again — and we’ll make sure you are, too!