Aurora Project Steams Ahead

A nasty winter slowed construction on the middle mile of the Aurora Corridor Project slightly, but things are still moving ahead and city officials say the project is going smoothly despite an partially unfunded final portion between 192nd and 205th Streets.

Project Manager Kirk McKinley said the city expects the middle section, between 165th and 185th Streets to be completed by August, with the stretch between 192nd and 205th completed in late winter 2012.

McKinley, who has worked on the project since the early stages of development in the late 1990s, said things have gone much better after the completion of the first phase.

“It’s been a really controversial project,” McKinley said. “Basically we said, ‘let’s just get a piece built and let people see it and drive it and walk it,’ and the controversy basically went away once we built that first mile.”

McKinley said accidents have gone down by approximately 60 percent along the first mile, an early indication that the project could be more than just a visual improvement for the city.

For now, only one portion remains in the planning stage, but the city hopes to have funding and property secured for that in the coming months, with completion slated for 2013.

Funding

The final portion, between 192nd and 205th, is underfunded by approximately $13 to $18 million. The city has applied for two grants to help fill the funding hole—one is a joint application with Seattle and King County with the Federal Transit Administration Very Small Starts Program, which would net Shoreline $5.2 million. The other ($6.3 million) is through the state’s Regional Mobility Grant Program. McKinley said the city will apply for more grants in the coming months.

Currently, the project costs approximately $33.3 million per mile, depending on how much property the city has to acquire and the cost of materials. So far, Shoreline has shouldered about 10 percent of the cost, with much of the rest of funding coming from gas tax allocations, the Transportation Improvement Board and more than 30 grant programs and other income sources.

Rain Garden Plaza

Since the completion of the first mile, the city has been experimenting with new environmentally friendly stormwater treatments, including cells underneath pavement to improve the health of trees along the street.

Additionally, crews are currently installing a new drainage system, which includes 96-inch underground pipes underneath the northeastern corner of the park and ride on 192nd and Aurora, in a location that will serve as a demonstration area for some of the environmental initiatives the city hopes to pursue in future construction projects.

The Rain Garden Plaza, as it's called, will help capture rain and stormwater runoff and use it to feed plants instead of allowing the contaminated water to flow into creeks and streams.

The Rain Garden Plaza will also have an improved bus shelter and educational signs that explain the environmental improvements of the Aurora Corridor Project.

Buying properties

McKinley said the final stretch of Aurora before Snohomish County is tight, with some businesses jutting out into the area where the new sidewalk will be. That means the city must purchase some property to make room for the roadway and sidewalk.

He pointed to two buildings in particular—KFC and Top Tattoo. KFC’s drive-thru lane currently sits on the edge of where the sidewalk will be, presenting a safety hazard for pedestrians. Top Tattoo sits several feet closer to the road than the buildings along the same block, occupying space that the city will need for the new sidewalk. McKinley said the city is working to figure out a plan to acquire the necessary property in the coming weeks.

Transit

The Aurora project has caused some headaches for transit riders who have dealt with temporary bus stops and route changes, and the final sections of Aurora promise to continue the trend, with some buses stopping north of the Park and Ride as contractors build the Rain Garden Plaza.

Additionally, parking in the park and ride has been reduced while crews install the rain garden. Parking will be restored once construction is complete.

McKinley said construction teams have also ramped up the number of safety personnel to help guide pedestrians and drivers through the construction, due to the high traffic along Aurora.