Since 2021, SDOT has been working under a Pedestrian and Bicycle program grant from WSDOT to “reimagine” Aurora Avenue North from the northern end of the SR-99 Tunnel to 145th street. Based on community input provided during a series of meetings last summer, SDOT has released concept art depicting four potential general corridor concept designs: “Walkable Boulevard”, “Bike Connection”, “Center-Running Bus Lane”, and “Maintain Capacity”. Since Aurora varies in width along its route, there are versions of each graphic for a 90-foot roadway and a 106-foot roadway.

The Aurora Project is split into five segments:

Note: This map shows the Aurora Project area as diverting to Linden between N 63rd and Winona, but review of details from previous community meetings shows this is not actually under consideration. Also, Aurora Bridge and the Woodland Park section are excluded from segments 1 and 2, respectively, due to “unique constraints and challenges”.

SDOT is requesting preference for each road alternative per section, implying that they are looking to see if a mix-and-match approach will work to appease community interests. The Aurora Reimagined Coalition has been advocating for a continuous center-running busway with curbside bike lanes, but SDOT did not present that as an option. They propose either bike lanes with curb-side BAT (business access and transit) lanes, or a center-running busway with no bike lanes.

Given a choice between these two, a center-running busway would speed up the E (and other routes that use Aurora like the 28 and the 5), maintain access for freight, and improve walkability by providing more protection for crossings.

SDOT’s center-running bus lane concept for Segments 1 and 2:

SDOT’s center-running bus lane concept for Segments 3, 4 and 5:

It is also notable that the proposed potential use of the curb lanes as “Flex Zones” (e.g. loading, street cafes, parking, etc.) could be used to force through-drivers to serpentine between the flex zones and turning lanes. This feature is not present on the other concept drawings.

I don’t like the exclusion of bike lanes from the center-running bus lane concepts, but it seems to me that if there must be a choice between significant improvements to transit versus the construction of protected bike lanes on what would otherwise still functionally be an expressway, then the priority should be improving transit. Even though the bike lanes would be buffered from traffic with landscaping (similar to the 7th Avenue bike lanes in South Lake Union), the concepts do not include protection for bike lane users at intersections like what’s under construction at Dexter and Thomas.

If bike lanes are truly incompatible with a center-running busway, then SDOT should consider the entire corridor, not just the 90-106′ right-of-way of Aurora Ave N. Fremont Ave N and Stone Way N should be considered for improvements to serve north-south cyclist travel upgrading as Greenways, with upgraded east-west connections to allow for access to Aurora-facing businesses. For Segments 4 and 5, the Interurban offers an extremely safe alternative for longer-distance trips along the corridor.

SDOT is seeking feedback via survey until April 5, and via three open houses this month. Interestingly, the survey doesn’t ask respondents to select their favorite concept for each segment, but instead asks whether “at least one of our draft designs reflects your ideas or priorities” for each segment, followed by a comment box and a Like-Dislike chart for specific design elements.