Completion of Aurora Corridor celebrated
Sunday, December 6, 2015
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| Celebration of the completion of the Aurora Corridor Photo by Keith McGlashan |
On Saturday, December 5, the City of Shoreline held a celebration at City Hall for the completion of the Aurora Corridor project.
From the City website
"Improving the Aurora Corridor has been a community goal since the City incorporated in 1995. With more than 45,000 vehicles and 7,000 transit riders using the corridor daily, Aurora is a major regional transportation corridor connecting Everett and Seattle. It is also a major retail and business corridor providing services and employment to thousands. Built in three phases over the past 10 years, the Aurora Corridor Improvement Project has already improved safety, fostered economic development, eased traffic congestion, enhanced environmental quality, and increased pedestrian mobility.
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| Photos courtesy City of Shoreline |
"Twenty years ago it was a different story. Shoreline’s three-mile section of Aurora Avenue used to be one of the most dangerous stretches of road in the entire state, both for pedestrians and vehicles. According to the Washington State Department of transportation, in the two years (2003-2004) prior to construction beginning on the first phase of Aurora (145th to 165th), there was an average of 209 collisions per year along the entire corridor through Shoreline. In the two years (2012-2013) after completion of the second phase (165th to 192nd) the average number of collisions had dropped to 125, a decrease of 40%. During the same period of time, collisions resulting in injuries decreased by 56%. Collisions involving pedestrians declined by more than 40%.
"Today, the three-mile stretch through Shoreline is one of the nicest stretches of Aurora in the region and is serving as an example to other communities. The investments we’ve made in Aurora over the past 20 years will benefit the City for decades to come through better safety, more efficient transit, improved pedestrian access, and innovative stormwater management."
Roadway Work
The only things left to do on the Corridor are the new gateway sign at the southwest corner of N 205th Street and Aurora, and the landscaping, which will continue in various areas (median and roadside).
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5 comments:
So many numbers make my heart palpitate! How about the numbers of displaced, independant, "vibrant", and "lively" small businesses?
What about the businesses that were... put out of business by the lack of concern and foresight by the City? You would think they would have an interest in protecting the City's cut of revenue from small business, but... nooooo! Shoreline is NOT small business friendly.
Seriously, if your business requires a brick and mortar storefront, go North, go South, anywhere but Shoreline and their backwards policies that will ensure your business fails within a year, unless you're a huge chain store/restaurant. For all you kool-aide drinkers who embrace growth, "vision", and what the City defines as "Urbanism" (ooooo!....catch phrase, y'all (Miley Cyrus voice!)). It actually benefits the City coffers, if your small business, goes out of business, preferably for something more corporate. If you go out of business, that's more permit/applications fees for the City, that's a brand new (possibly hefty) TIF fee, etc., etc., etc.
Was there anyone younger than 60 years old in attendance?
The celebration was wonderful! However, an important reason for the corridor’s development was overlooked, that being the many citizens and citizen volunteers who kept the momentum going, including:
(1) The Citizen’s Advisory Task Force, a group of volunteer appointees who reviewed and helped craft the design for the first mile (145th-165th), and as such, weathered a substantial amount of flak over the same issues that the councilmembers and city staff did;
(2) The Planning Commission, a group of 9 volunteer appointees, every 2 years with new appointees and/or re-appointments, who reviewed, discussed, and recommended alternatives for the project, including holding the public hearing on the first mile in front of a packed house in the Shoreline Room at the Shoreline Center;
(3) Citizens who wrote to the Shoreline Enterprise, our newspaper that, unfortunately, no longer exists;
(4) Citizens who testified at the City Council meetings, particularly Dale Wright; and
(5) Citizens who, on their own, formed groups to keep the project moving forward, such as Citizens for a Better Aurora and Pro Shoreline;
(6) Citizens who organized and formed opposition groups, for they helped the proponents hone their messages.
I feel that this citizen element was at a level that represented a once-in-a-lifetime component that augmented the work that was and is always recognized at these events, that of the city staff and the various legislators who were involved in getting this project done.
PS- This project has taken almost 20 years to complete, hence those who were involved in it tend to be at least 55. That said, there were not many people, especially if you subtract out city staff, where there tends to be regular turnover, under 60; I was one of the non-staff under 60.
I am well under 60 and attended this event. I even sat in the front row.
There seems to be alot of small businesses to me...even some new ones. And now I can get to them SAFELY.
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