Aurora Corridor Project, N 165th to N 205th Streets

The Aurora Corridor Project, a long time Council goal, is the redevelopment of the three miles of Aurora Avenue N that run through Shoreline. The project features improved sidewalks, business access and transit (BAT) lanes, underground utilities, new and natural stormwater, new signals, lighting, and a landscaped median with left and U-turn pockets. Benefits of this redevelopment include enhanced vehicle and pedestrian safety, vehicular capacity and traffic flow, transit operations, drainage systems, and aesthetics, as well as promoting economic development and reinvestment in the corridor. 

N 192nd to N 205th Streets
Status as of May 8, 2013

The City recently advertised for construction of this final segment of Aurora with bids due on April 3, 2013. Due to the higher than expected bid totals, the City decided to reject all bids. The project will now be advertised in early fall 2013.  The contract should be awarded in late fall along with a limited notice to proceed which would allow the contractor to begin mobilization of equipment and materials.  Construction would begin in January 2014 weather permitting.

There will be minor construction on Aurora Avenue this summer under separate contract for some building demolition and surface grading.  The work will be of short duration and is not expected to create any traffic delays.

HDR Engineering has continued as the design consultant for this final section with design components similar to those already constructed on Aurora Avenue. Stormwater features remain a priorty and "green walls," which first appear in the N 185th - N 192nd Streets segment, will also be an element in this final segment.

Green walls are walls designed to incorporate living elements such as climbing plants. Due to grade changes in this section of the corridor, retaining walls are necessary on both the east and west sides of Aurora. To help improve the appearance of these structures, the wall allows low-maintenance, evergreen and deciduous plant species to grow on and cover the face of the walls. At some locations, plants will grow up over decorative steel mesh or wire panels to add a three dimensional aspect.

Funding sources include the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP), Surface Transportation Program (STP), Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ); Federal Transit Administration (FTA); the state Transportation Improvement Board (TIB), Regional Mobility, and Department of Ecology; King County Metro, and the City of Shoreline.

N 185th to N 192nd Streets
Project Completed
Construction of this section of the Aurora Corridor reached Physical Completion on June 12, 2012. The contractor, Johansen Excavating, based in Buckley, WA, had been awarded this project on December 13, 2010.

Underground stormwater treatment and storage systems were constructed at N 192nd Street and Aurora Avenue, near the King County Metro Park & Ride. Instead of merely covering the storage space with grass or concrete, the City created a Demonstration Garden. The plaza incorporates rain gardens (which use water-loving plants to mimic forests; collecting, absorbing and filtering stormwater runoff naturally), planting beds, and benches. Educational signs describing the drainage improvements along the Aurora Corridor were installed in the plaza (Board 1, Board 2, and Board 3).

N 165th to N 185th Streets
Project Completed
Construction of this one-mile section of the Aurora Corridor was substantially completed in 2011, with a few minor tasks completed in 2012. The contractor, Marshbank Construction, Inc., was awarded the project on November 16, 2009 and given notice to proceed on January 4, 2010.

N 145th to N 165th Streets
Project Completed
Please visit N 145th to N 165th Streets project page for more information.

Overview and History for N 165th to N 205th Streets

• Delineated driveways
• Wider sidewalks separated from the roadway by landscaping and other amenities
• Free right-turn lanes at major intersections
• Landscaped center medians with left- and U-turn pockets
• Traffic- and pedestrian-level lighting
• Natural storm water treatments
• Business Access and Transit (BAT) lanes
• Underground utilities

On November 21, 2007, the City’s State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) official determined the project would not have a probable significant adverse impact on the environment. A Mitigated Determination of Nonsignificance (MDNS) was issued with a three week public comment period which ended December 12, 2007.

In November 2007, the City submitted an Environmental Classification Summary (ECS) and attachments to the state.  The final National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) approval signature from the Federal Highway Administration was attained on December 28, 2007.  With approval of documents in December 2007, the City completed the environmental process for the Aurora Corridor Improvement Project (N 165th to N 205th Streets).  Both NEPA and SEPA decisions concluded that there are no probable significant adverse environmental impacts from the project.

Per environmental requirements, a SEPA “Notice of Action” was released by the City’s SEPA Responsible Official to let the community know the City has taken action and is moving forward with the project.  In January 2008, Shoreline City Council authorized moving forward with project design and right-of-way acquisition.

Background
The City began the environmental review process in October 2006 with the selection of the consultant Jones & Stokes. The environmental review analyzed the impacts of the design alternatives in a variety of areas such as traffic, land use, air, noise, socio-economics and cultural/historical resources. Additional analysis was done on economics and natural and conventional stormwater management approaches.

The Aurora Business and Community (ABC) Team, a group of 23 volunteers representing a wide variety of interests and viewpoints, assisted the City during the environmental review process by providing additional input. The ABC Team had its final meeting June 27, 2007 where it unanimously agreed to recommend that the Council adopt the revised Implementation Strategies (formerly the "32 Points") and the Draft Recommended Alternative.

At the July 16, 2007, City Council Aurora public hearing, an overwhelming majority of people spoke in favor of this preferred project alignment. At its July 23 meeting, Shoreline City Council unanimously selected the Draft Recommended Alternative as the Preferred Alternative alignment for the Aurora Corridor N 165th to N 205th Streets Project. Staff was then able to move forward to complete the environmental process and submit paperwork to the appropriate agency officials.

Translation Available

If you would like to communicate with the City of Shoreline about the Aurora Corridor Project in another language, please send your questions and contact information to the email or address below.

John Vicente, City of Shoreline
17500 Midvale Avenue N
Shoreline, WA 98133

Related Links

• Aurora Main Page
• Aurora N. 145th - 165th Streets

SEPA-NEPA Documents

• SEPA Notice of Action (23 KB)
• Mitigated Determination of Nonsignificance (MDNS) (5.70 MB)
• SEPA Checklist (14.8 MB)
• NEPA ECS (14.7 MB)

Discipline Reports & Technical Reports

• Value Engineering (N 165th - N 185th Streets)   (1.21 MB)
• Value Analysis Study (N 185th - N 205th Streets)    (4.32 MB) 
• Study Economics (12.7 MB)
• Stormwater (10.1 MB)

Other Documents

• Final Adopted Alternative (943 KB)
• Preferred Alternative(11.7 MB)
• Implementation Strategies (45 KB)

June 20, 2007 Open House Materials

• Agenda (29 KB)
• Fact Sheet (4.87 MB)
• Presentation (122 KB)
• Summary of Effects & Mitigation (73 KB)
• Presentation Boards (11.9 MB)

Scoping Meeting Documents

• Alternatives (354 KB)
• Background & Vision (417 KB)
• Background Fact Sheet (915 KB)
• Environmental Review Process (792 KB)
• Stormwater Treatment Options (173 KB)
• Timeline Fact Sheet (2.85 MB)
• Meeting Power Point Presentation (380 KB)

Project Committees

• Aurora Business & Community Team 
• Aurora Business Team