When I went on a walk around Lake of the Isles with my family two weeks ago, the paths were packed. It was very challenging to maintain social distancing with the amount of people running, biking and walking. For this reason, I applaud the city for closing streets around several city lakes to allow for more space for pedestrians.

According to the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board, segments of Cedar Lake Parkway, East Bde Maka Ska Parkway, Lake Harriet Parkway, Lake of the Isles Parkway, Lake Nokomis Parkway, Main Street SE and West River Parkway will be closed to motorized traffic and open to pedestrians until May 4. Cyclists are to stay on bike paths and not use the parkway roads. Emergency and service vehicles are an exception to the road closures.

After Gov. Tim Walz extended the stay-at-home executive order to May 4, I thought the city made a wise choice going ahead with these closures. The lakes around the Twin Cities are a big spring and summer attraction. Now with everyone stuck in their homes all day, it is possible walking around the lakes will be even more popular, as everyone will want to get outside. These road closures help Minnesotans adhere to the government order by social distancing while spending time outside. As of now, the state of Minnesota is doing a great job modeling a correct response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Although there are many positives to the streets closing, one major consequence is how closures impact commutes to essential locations, such as grocery stores. To get to the nearest grocery store from my house, I usually take Cedar Lake Parkway, which is now partially closed off. However, this really only calls for some minor adjustments to my route. The city is also making sure access to residential living is not affected, although they don’t specify how. Overall, there seems to be very little negative impact.

That feeling of discomfort when walking too closely to others has been minimized by these street closures. However, the lakes are still going to be busy and it is necessary to take precaution and keep a safe distance if walking in public recreational areas. I still highly recommend taking walks in more private areas, such as neighborhoods or residential streets. It is vital all of these rules and precautions are in place to keep us safe and healthy.