Aurora Ave Project
Updated March 6, 2024
What does the future of Aurora Ave N look like for you?
We are excited to share conceptual ideas to help envision potential future improvements along Aurora Ave N. These ideas are based on feedback we received from community.
These early sketches would require additional outreach, design, and funding to further develop and implement. We have also drafted our evaluation criteria which will help us to better understand how well the community ideas accomplish our project goals and will show the tradeoffs between different concepts.
View the draft concepts and evaluation criteria.
There are two ways you can give us your feedback:
We want your feedback as we continue to study these potential options.
Take our Survey - Please take our survey to share your feedback on the draft concepts and let us know if there is anything we missed before we begin the initial evaluation process. The survey will be open until April 5th.
Attend an open house - We will also be hosting three open houses (two in-person and one virtual) to share the drafted community ideas and to hear from community members like you.
Please join us at one of the following open houses:
- Tuesday, March 12: 1-2 PM at the Broadview Library, 12755 Greenwood Ave N, Seattle, WA 98133
- Thursday, March 14 (virtual): 6-7 PM (Meeting link)
- Thursday, March 21: 6-7 PM at the Bitterlake Community Center, 13035 Linden Ave, Seattle, WA 98133
What's Happening Now?
While we work on long term plans for the future of Aurora Ave N, we are also working on some near-term safety improvements for the corridor.
We are planning to construct several near-term safety projects. These improvements were identified based on recurring collision patterns along the corridor, community feedback provided as part of the corridor planning study, and opportunities for proactive safety measures.
To jumpstart this effort, we completed the installation of leading pedestrian intervals and “No Turn on Red” restrictions at all signalized intersections on the corridor last year.
We will be adding new safety improvements in late 2024 that are designed to reduce the likelihood and severity of crashes for all users. These improvements will include:
- A new crossing signal at N 137th St for people walking and biking along with left turn and thru-movement restrictions at the intersection.
- New left turn and thru-movement restrictions with curbing and median islands at three intersections.
- New mountable “hardened centerline” treatments at to encourage slower left turns into parallel crosswalks at six intersections.
- Widened and remarked crosswalks at all existing crosswalks throughout the corridor.
To stay up to date on the project and get involved, sign up for our email list here.
Background
Did you know that the Aurora Ave N/State Route 99 corridor is one of the highest traffic volume streets within the Seattle city limits? This north-south corridor offers some of the busiest bus routes within Seattle City limits, is critical for freight movement, and offers connections to dense housing, businesses, social services, and employment opportunities. Aurora Avenue has a history of collisions, gaps in pedestrian facilities, inconsistent streetscape design, and accessibility barriers that make travel especially difficult for people with mobility challenges.
The last comprehensive Route Development Plan for the Aurora Ave N corridor was published in 2003, and while recommendations for near-term improvements were included, few improvements were made. Aurora Ave N has been a longstanding priority for transportation upgrades that improve safety and mobility for all travelers. Among these, there is a strong desire to enhance comfort and access for people walking along the corridor, reduce collisions for all users, and improve the quality of transit service.
In the last few years SDOT pursued funding to study safety and mobility improvements in the corridor. In late 2021, SDOT was awarded funding through a Pedestrian and Bicycle Program grant from the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). King County Metro is also contributing funds and partnering with SDOT to develop a new comprehensive design vision for the Aurora Ave N corridor and identify near-term projects that will advance improvements and safety.
As part of this study, we are also collaborating with other programs, departments and agencies who are doing work along this corridor. We are partnering with King County Metro to hear your feedback on improvements to the RapidRide E Line. This study is a necessary step in identifying transit improvements for addressing safety and security, improving speed and reliability enhancing transit connections, and improving user experience.
We are also collaborating with Seattle Public Utilities to incorporate drainage issues and needs into our right-of-way design plans. SDOT’s Home Zone program is also launching in the Licton Springs neighborhood near Aurora, and we’ll be coordinating with their work as well.
This is one of several projects to improve safety and accessibility to and along Aurora Ave N, including the Green Lake Outer Loop Project, Aurora -Licton Springs Home Zone Project, and Aurora Ave Sidewalk Upgrades and Tree Preservation.
Project Purpose
- Develop a new design vision for the Aurora Ave N corridor that enhances safety, mobility, and accessibility for all travelers.
- Address the needs of residents, businesses, and corridor stakeholders in a unified vision for the corridor through an equitable and robust engagement process.
- Consider collision history and safety challenges along the corridor with a focus on addressing the most serious collisions and collisions involving vulnerable road users.
- Identify potential transit service improvements and connections (e.g., with nearby light rail stations), as well as safety and security improvements (e.g., at transit stops).
- Develop a strategy to construct corridor improvements as resources become available.
Aurora Ave Corridor Data Map
This map provides an overview of key data to understand the issues and opportunities along the Aurora Ave N corridor.
We’ll use this data to help inform decisions on safety, mobility, and accessibility upgrades.
How To Explore the Map
- Start by selecting the layer explorer icon and selecting the type of information you'd like to see on the map.
- Click on the crossed out eye icons to reveal each data layer.
- Click the drop-down arrows to the left of each eye icon to see a menu of the layers available.
- Once a layer is made visible, you’ll be able to click on each data point on the map to pull up more information.
- The legend icon allows you to see what different colors and symbols mean in each visible data layer.
Have questions or need more information on the data? Feel free to reach out to our team at AuroraStudy@seattle.gov.
Project Area
Aurora Ave N between Harrison St (near the SR 99 Tunnel north portal) and N 145th St (at the Seattle city limits) is approximately 7.6 miles long. Throughout this area, Aurora features several distinct land use and urban village contexts, roadway cross sections, and access needs. To accommodate these differences in the analysis, community engagement, and design processes, SDOT plans to divide the corridor study into five segments for the purposes of the study:
- Harrison St to N 38th St
- N 38th St to Winona Ave N
- Winona Ave N to N 85th St
- N 85th St to N 115th St
- N 115th St to N 145th St
- N 145th St to Mountlake Terrace (E Line assessment only)
Project Outreach
The Aurora Ave N Safety Planning Study will include community engagement opportunities during each phase of the project. We included all feedback received during our phases into Outreach Reports available in our materials section below.
In 2022, we started outreach to understand key concerns to help us identify what changes the community needs to enhance safety for all travelers. In mid-2023, we hosted community design workshops to work together with community members to create a vision and design plans for the future of Aurora Ave N. And, in 2024 we will share an evaluation criteria and draft design concepts that incorporate the range of ideas and priorities for Aurora Ave N that we have heard from community. To stay up to date on this project, you can sign up for project updates here.
Phase1:
|
Summer/Fall 2022 |
Phase 2:
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Spring 2023 |
Phase 3:
|
2024 |
Project Funding
- WSDOT Pedestrian and Bicycle Program
- Levy to Move Seattle
- King County Metro
Materials
Phase 2
- Community Design Workshops Findings Summary
- Community Design Workshops Findings Report
- Aurora Outreach Executive Summary
- Factsheet 2023
- Workshops Presentation
- Workshop Handouts
- Flash Survey
- Mobile Kit
Phase 1
- Fact Sheet - English
- Katotohanan Sheet - Tagalog
- Hoja Informativa - Español
- 팩트 시트 - 한국어 - Korean
- Tờ thông tin - Tiếng Việt - Vietnamese
- 實況報導 - 中文 - Traditional Chinese
- ወረቐት ሓቂ - ትግርኛ - Tigrinya
- Mobile Presentation
- Survey Flyer
- Multicultural Media Campaign Report
- Aurora Ave N Safety Planning Survey
- Aurora Ave N Safety Planning Survey Findings Report
- Aurora Ave Project Outreach Report
- Outreach Report Summary - English
- Resumen de informe de divulgación - Español
- ጽሟቕ ጸብጻብ ህዝባዊ ርክብ - ትግርኛ - Tigrinya
- Ulat ng Buod ng Pag-aabot - Tagalog
- Tóm Tắt Báo Cáo Tiếp Cận Cộng Đồng - Tiếng Việt - Vietnamese
- 外展報告摘要 - 中文 – Traditional Chinese
- 현장 활동 보고서 요약 - 한국어 – Korean
Past projects in the area
- WSDOT SR 99/Aurora Ave N Route Development Plan (2003)
- WSDOT repaving of SR99 from Roy to 145th
- SDOT Aurora Traffic Safety Corridor Project
Current projects in the area
- Northbound Bus and Transit (BAT) lane south of Aurora Bridge
- Green Lake Outer Loop
- Home Zone Program
- Vision Zero N 130th St Project
Translation and Interpretation
If you need this information translated, please call (206) 905-3620.
如果您需要此信息翻譯成中文 請致電 (206) 905-3620.
Kung kailangan mo ang impormasyon na ito na nakasalin sa Tagalog mangyari lamang na tumawag sa (206) 905-3620.
Si necesita traducir esta información al español, llame al (206) 905-3620.
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이 정보를 번역해야 하는 경우 전화하십시오. (206) 905-3620.
እዚ ሓበሬታ እዚ ኺትርጐም እንተ ደሊኻ በጃኻ ደዊልካ (206) 905-3620.