Minneapolis, a city known for its bike lanes, now officially has a “complete streets” policy saying that walkers, cyclists and drivers should be considered in street design.

The city is far from the first to join the movement — some 950 cities nationally already have adopted such policies, including many Twin Cities-area suburbs. But when the City Council approved the policy Friday, Minneapolis took it a step further than most, giving priority to pedestrians, followed by cyclists and transit riders and, finally, drivers.

“The hierarchy is unique,” said Emiko Atherton, director of the National Complete Streets Coalition, which advocates for the adoption of street policies that recognize all users. Only a few cities have set priorities among users, she said.

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