Bikes now allowed 24/7 on Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis

For the first time, Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis is now open to bicycles any time of the day, every day of the week.

The change took effect Saturday morning. In the past, bikes couldn't pedal down the pedestrian mall and bus route on weekdays between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.

But transit improvements on nearby Marquette and 2nd Avenues have created room for more bus traffic on those streets, making it possible to move express buses off Nicollet Mall. A few buses serving local routes will still use Nicollet Mall, but will be cleaner, quieter hybrid buses.

In addition, the local buses will offer free rides between Washington Avenue and the Minneapolis Convention Center on Nicollet Mall.

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