The Minneapolis City Council on Thursday failed to override Mayor Jacob Frey's veto of a plan to have parking and bus lane changes along Hennepin Avenue in Uptown.
The council voted 8-5 to bring back the changes, but needed nine votes to override the veto.
Council members approved plans on June 16 (also by an 8-5 vote) for the first major reconstruction of Hennepin Avenue through the Uptown neighborhood in more than 65 years. But Frey rejected two of four resolutions associated with the project that calls for reducing the bustling thoroughfare to one travel lane in each direction and adding bike lanes, bus lanes and wider sidewalks at the expense of on-street parking.
The vetoed resolutions dealt with the layout for the reconstruction project and parking restrictions. Transit advocates are pushing 24-hour bus lanes, while others say not allowing parking, even when those bus lanes are not in use, will hurt businesses.
The mayor's said Thursday that there has to be a compromise, allowing the city to move forward with a consensus to help businesses that have suffered from the pandemic, civil unrest, inflation and staffing shortages.
"There is broad agreement on the design and layout," Frey said. "We should have a prioritized bus lane during heavy traffic hours so that that bus can get through as quickly as possible ... with as few hurdles as we possibly can."
The matter has now been referred back to the city's public works committee and will be discussed at its July 14 meeting.
How they voted
Yes vote to override veto: Elliott Payne, Robin Wonsley, Jeremiah Ellison, Jamal Osman, Andrea Jenkins, Jason Chavez, Aisha Chughtai and Andrew Johnson.
No vote to uphold veto: Michael Rainville, LaTrisha Vetaw, Lisa Goodman, Emily Koski and Linea Palmisano
Star Tribune reporters Liz Navratil and Tim Harlow contributed to this story.
