Street racing draws concern from residents in Minneapolis' Powderhorn Park

Residents of Powderhorn Park say they have been on edge for years because reckless drivers are using their streets for racing, in some cases causing severe property damage.

“We still haven't fully realized the extent of damage and how bad it is. So we're trying to sort it out right now," says Mark Shoening, whose home on Park Avenue was crashed into by a racing Mustang on August 11.

The crash happened at 4 a.m. when a Mustang with two people was racing a black SUV on the 3300 block of Park Avenue.

The SUV pushed the Mustang off the road, causing it to spin out, flip over, and crash into Shoening’s front yard.

One of the passengers fled the scene, but Shoening's wife convinced the driver to stay. Police later arrested him. The black SUV fled the scene.

While thankfully no one was injured during this incident, there seems to be a pattern of this happening since at least 2014.

Jenny Rowe has lived in the Powderhorn Park neighborhood for 26 years and confirms this reckless driving has been consistent for the past decade.

"The streets are designed as an invitation to it," says Rowe, of the two-lane, one-way Park Avenue. "These county roads were modified to make it even easier for suburbanites to commute into Minneapolis."

Rowe and several other residents brought this to the attention of Minneapolis Police Department years ago, and while they temporarily added a speed tracker to the area, they say little else has been done.

"I just don't see any way they could enforce our way out of this problem," says Rowe. "I think it's a design problem rather than an enforcement problem."

Schoening says the looming threat of these reckless drivers has caused multiple neighbors to take precautions with their own cars.

"If you were to come over to our street, there would not be a single car parked for almost the entirety of one block because no one feels safe parking their car there," Shoening said. "I have neighbors who are scared to take their children out of the sidewalk."

Police confirmed at least three "hotrodder" calls on August 9, ranging from West River Parkway to Colfax Avenue.

Residents have, however, felt there is hope on the horizon due to Hennepin County's Park and Portland roadway improvement project, which is scheduled to begin in 2027 and will see the introduction of "design elements to calm vehicle travel speeds," as well as the construction of a separated bike lane.

"We intend to organize and push the county to change these streets back to two-way streets as part of this redesign," says Rowe. "I love Minneapolis. Minneapolis is a great place to live, but our street needs to be redesigned."