Aurora Ave. Past & Future

August 31, 2022 7:03 PM

To Improve a STROAD: How One City Is Reimagining an Orphan Highway // Aurora Avenue in Seattle - CityNerd (20m) So today's video is a case study on an orphan state highway, State Route 99 in north Seattle, AKA Aurora Avenue. We'll do a field visit and look at all the ways Aurora fails the people who live, work, and play there, examine the legacy of north Seattle's substandard urban infrastructure, and look at recent improvements to transit that might be a starting point for a better future. Finally, we'll talk about how advocacy groups, the City, WSDOT, and King County Metro are coming together to reimagine the street, and how Aurora attracted $50 million in this year's state infrastructure package to make real changes on one of the street's most challenged segments.
posted by CrystalDave (23 comments total)

I just watched this. City Nerd is the best. Old Talford!

I think the only point not addressed is where are the current uses meant to relocate? I get it, it is a shitty blight, but people need, okay maybe not need, bad example, their close to home mini storage. (Actually what they need is a trip to recycling/the dump but that is another post and not the topic at hand.)
posted by Keith Talent at 9:01 PM on August 31, 2022

Thanks for this post - much appreciated as someone who has lived not too far east of Aurora near 80th since the early 1990s.

Wrote and deleted much about Aurora being the north end relief valve for marginal stuff (much more marginal than self-store and car repair outfits he danced around) - not sure what he’s hoping for can happen given those uses are pretty firmly stuck to Aurora.
posted by skyscraper at 11:02 PM on August 31, 2022 [1 favorite]

Yeah when he says something or other about unsavory uses, that’s hookers.

It IS gentrifying much slower than the rest of Seattle, but given the horrifying effects of gentrification (everything becomes a mix of tech bros and homeless encampments) I dunno if that’s good or bad.
posted by Artw at 12:39 AM on September 1, 2022

As someone else who lived near there for a number of years (and still has good friends who live there)...I think you can still have "marginal use" in a nicer setting, though I suppose if you're looking for sex workers (trying to think what other uses Aurora is known for he's skating around) maybe the setting isn't an issue? Most of the large-land-use low-quality businesses like auto salvage yards are gone or are going.

Cemeteries are right up there with golf as poor use of urban land (aside from how weird they are in general, but that's a culture thing). Less than 50 years ago there was a large amusement park (Playland) not far from 130th, probably a better community amenity.
posted by maxwelton at 12:44 AM on September 1, 2022 [1 favorite]

There’s a lot of pot shops now, but that’s everywhere.

If the proposed high density housing happens that’ll be great. I really should learn more about what they’re planning there. Honestly at the moment anything that isn’t more rich people condos driving the housing problem is very welcome, and Aurora is a great location gif it because as mentioned it’s a high frequency transit lane pointed straight at downtown Seattle.
posted by Artw at 12:48 AM on September 1, 2022

We are the Aurora Reimagined Coalition. Join us in dreaming of and planning a safer, better Aurora Ave in Seattle.
posted by Artw at 12:50 AM on September 1, 2022 [1 favorite]

As mentioned: $50M experiment aims to make Aurora Avenue more welcoming for bicyclists, pedestrians
posted by Artw at 12:59 AM on September 1, 2022

though I suppose if you're looking for sex workers (trying to think what other uses Aurora is known for he's skating around)

Maybe also drug use/selling along with all of the drama around the low-rent hotels? And it is weird to skate around the prostitution and suchlike because that is such a major part of how Aurora Avenue is talked about and experienced.

The multimodal safety and infrastructure improvements he is talking about should happen and would benefit anyone there (except in some cases for people engaged in more controversial activities that don't benefit from the visibility that comes with increased density and development). But talking about Aurora Ave just in terms of it's physical structure feels very blindered, since it's physical faults go hand in hand with the other things it is known for. At a minimum, if the idea is that improvements to the physical infrastructure and increased development would slowly push out the prostitution and other stuff, there would need to be some thought given to what neighborhood those activities would move to.
posted by Dip Flash at 7:31 AM on September 1, 2022

I get it, it is a shitty blight, but people need, okay maybe not need, bad example, their close to home mini storage.

Mini-storage buildings should be placed on the backside of lots, not on street frontage. Also mini-storage buildings can be built in many different zoning districts in most cities. In a city like LA (and most suburb-like cities) it's sardonically said that the only buildings allowed to be higher than 2 stories are mini-storage.
posted by The_Vegetables at 7:39 AM on September 1, 2022 [2 favorites]

MetaFilter: It's legitimately awful, and it's been this way for decades.
posted by a snickering nuthatch at 7:40 AM on September 1, 2022 [2 favorites]

It's weird to leave out prostitution in his analysis, and that prurience makes me question how deep or serious it is. A big part of this is that this historical use of Aurora Ave happens as a direct result of how the road is physically laid out, with wide swaths of roughly- or unpaved road shoulder acting as a dangerous sidewalk for sex workers to walk up and down at all times of day, showcasing and making themselves quickly available for a good ten to fifteen blocks, regardless of how heavy and unsafe the vehicular traffic gets. I don't know how one talks about redesign without talking seriously about this aspect of the current one.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 7:43 AM on September 1, 2022 [5 favorites]

Yeah, that omission is kind of important...

I am amazed that in all that video, I don't see a single shot that includes a sex worker. Because I go through that intersection by the Krispy Kreme twice a day, taking and picking up my son from Ingraham HS. There are ALWAYS sex workers there, even at 8 in the morning.

And TBH, the pot shops along there actually seem better for the community than the "hourly rate" hotels that used to be there.

Is Aurora a bad street for pedestrians and cyclists? Yes it is. I would never be there on a bike. But 50 million for improvements to the street isn't going to solve the problems on Aurora. They are systemic, and though these improvements will make it safer, it will likely still be Aurora.
posted by Windopaene at 8:37 AM on September 1, 2022

When sex workers walk the streets it's because they want to find clients, not because they want to impose their presence on those of us who are bothered by it.

When people are made uncomfortable by sex-workers, it's because it's in an area where there is not enough safe pedestrian space to go around.
posted by ocschwar at 9:47 AM on September 1, 2022 [1 favorite]

I'm not sure I follow you all's point RE: prostitution. For one, open prostitution is a crime that requires lax enforcement, max amounts of traffic, and few complainers, which is exactly the kind of location that he describes. The heavy car traffic doesn't discourage prostitution, it enables it.

Adding in bike infrastructure, narrowing lanes, and adding sidewalks helps lower traffic and adds complainers, which adds security. Also, the low quality businesses on the highest bus transportation corridors in the entire city implies that the lack of other nearby job opportunity (which self-storage is demonstrably bad at providing) which increases prostitution.

At a minimum, if the idea is that improvements to the physical infrastructure and increased development would slowly push out the prostitution and other stuff, there would need to be some thought given to what neighborhood those activities would move to.

For those points, this is not a correct viewpoint. It's basically the same as asking where the traffic would go, which the answer is some will stay, some will find alternate routes, and some will disappear as people can do their business in a car-lite way. Some of the prostitutes would move elsewhere, some would disappear as they transition into other jobs.

It also begs the question: why is this an appropriate place for open-air prostitution but 'somewhere else' is not?
posted by The_Vegetables at 9:54 AM on September 1, 2022 [2 favorites]

It also begs the question: why is this an appropriate place for open-air prostitution but 'somewhere else' is not?


Because everyone wants something better to be done with that space, and nobody wants to take deliberate adverse action against the sex workers, making this discussion awkward.
posted by ocschwar at 9:57 AM on September 1, 2022 [1 favorite]

True, but a good bit of this stretch, at least on the southbound side, does have decent pedestrian access. Bus stop in front of the Krispy Kreme, and wide sidewalks. Falls apart after 130th, and at about 124th southbound. But, it is a perfect street for sex work. Cars can pull over easily into the various businesses, (Les Schwab), or just on the shoulder to discuss the transaction, and then you are out of there.
posted by Windopaene at 10:00 AM on September 1, 2022

And maybe I'm not paying attention, but I don't see a ton of self-storage on Aurora. There's a newer CubeSmart at 92nd, but other than that...
posted by Windopaene at 10:02 AM on September 1, 2022

The "marginal use" includes a lot more small ethnic grocery stores and restaurants that are likely to get pushed out with gentrification than it does self storage.
posted by Zalzidrax at 11:31 AM on September 1, 2022 [3 favorites]

Agreed. Although there is an amazing amount of "empty" land up there. There is a former hourly rate hotel just south of Les Schwab, that is now a weed store. So most of the building seems to be unused. And the plot of land that is fenced off is huge. It is interesting that none of the "townhouse developers", that have overrun Ballard, are willing to do the same there. A GIANT plot of land, in Seattle, minimal teardown required? Should be valuable, but, apparently isn't.

I am guessing that the "tiny house" village on the other side of the Les Schwab will expand to there, unless someone buys it out and builds the condoplex. Aurora is not a terrible location logistically. Sketchy as fortold, but, developers seem to be able to put in enough security to make it not terrible.

But, unless you are looking for hardware, it is kind of a desert. Small, ethnic groceries yes, not a lot in terms of actual staples grocery shopping. Would be hard to live up there unless you had a car. Maybe you could bus.

It is just a great example of failure in city planning, back in the day. Look at 99 down in the south end. Terrible choice of streets.
posted by Windopaene at 12:26 PM on September 1, 2022

My one-point plan to revitalize Aurora was very simple:

1. Bring back Beth’s Cafe

But from its website, it appears it is open again and rumors of its demise were greatly exaggerated.

So, mission accomplished. You’re welcome. Maybe the rest should be left as it is. Improvement efforts around here always result in more luxury condos.
posted by qxntpqbbbqxl at 1:19 PM on September 1, 2022 [3 favorites]

Bring back Beth’s Cafe

The twin teeps would like a word.
posted by maxwelton at 1:38 PM on September 1, 2022 [3 favorites]

One city, south of Seattle with a large immigrant population, is already far ahead on reimagining Aurora Ave/Highway 99. Including working with the Somali community to create housing and retail that will keep them from being displaced.
posted by brookeb at 2:05 PM on September 1, 2022 [3 favorites]

Huh, i so rarely hear a land use article in which WSDoT is implicitly the reasonable, pedestrian-tolerant one of the agencies in question.
posted by clew at 8:22 PM on September 1, 2022