[Mpls] Bottineau Boulevard Abuts West Broadway/Give a Crape'

[PennBroKeith at cs.com]

News Flash: Highway 81 will be Bottineau Blvd. from Wirth Parkway to the 
Northwestern edge of the Earth. Currently, east of Wirth, in North Mpls, highway 
81 is called West Broadway.

West Broadway; as you say that name eyes roll heavenward because of negative 
associations folks have with the history of OUR mainstreet. Now we are on the 
frontier of a new Mainstreet; what shall we name it?

Our West Broadway we always just called "Broadway". Technically it is West 
Broadway Avenue north. Our street dept. delivered new street signs that 
say-------  "W. Broadway". How can we build a new Mainstreet identity for the New 
Millennium, and put the days of Worthless West Broadway behind us, when our City 
can't spell our name correctly on our new street signs? Identity crises; and 
the solution costs almost nothing.

Hey; I don't blame anybody but we need our civic leaders (hello Mr. Mayor and 
Three CM's) to help us build identity for our New Avenue. The one I now call 
"West Broadway, the Avenue with the Most Potential" is quickly gaining 
vitality and needs a new name. NOW!!! 

Now over Nordeast we got Broadway Street northeast; ya sure ya betcha. We 
could be Broadway Avenue north. That would go down easy cause most folks think 
that is the street name already. I have no objection. 

Or we could go with our Northwest Corridor Partners; that is the seven sister 
suburbs along highway 81, who will soon be calling reconstructed Highway 81 
(w/BRT**), Bottineau Blared. What should we do? Even Southsiders who do not 
give a crape' are invited to pitch in on this question. Remember, it's your City, 
too. (**BRT is Bus Rapid Transit) 


Keith Reitman   NearNorth