Aurora Avenue:

Keeping Fremont Apart Since the 1930s

On May 15th and August 20th, 2021, members of Ballard-Fremont Greenways and the Aurora Reimaged Coalition conducted walk-audits of Aurora Ave in Fremont. Here is what we found:

Today’s Problems

Jersey barriers and speeding traffic divide Aurora Ave today, while at the same time splitting Upper Fremont in half. This results in numerous challenges for people trying to live, work, and play in Fremont:

Even though vehicle speed limits have been reduced elsewhere along Aurora Ave, they remain 40 mph through Fremont and on the Bridge--and actual vehicle speeds are much higher
There is a complete lack of accessible, ADA-compliant crossings of Aurora Ave and the Aurora Bridge is uncrossable for people in wheelchairs
There are no "all ages and abilities" bike crossings
There is only a single stop on the E Line--and it is difficult and dangerous to access
Parking strips and other greenspaces are overgrown and there are few street trees
While cyclists do legally use Aurora, cycling is unsafe & unsupported, especially on the Bridge
The design of the roadway does little to mitigate the noise, water, & air pollution generated by the traffic along Aurora Ave
Many existing buildings face away from Aurora Ave--turning their backs on its problems!

Opportunities

Reconnecting Fremont would remove (literal) barriers, making it possible for people of all ages and abilities to move freely and safely about the neighborhood while enjoying all that Fremont has to offer::

A parent with a stroller could walk from Fremont Ave to Stone Way in 10 minutes--a trip which takes at least 30 minutes today.
A student could bike from BF Day to the Wallingford Playfield in under 10 minutes on an “all ages & abilities bike route”--a ride that currently takes 30 minutes on busy, uphill streets.
A wheelchair user or parent with a stroller could visit shops on both sides of Aurora Ave in Fremont--something that is impossible today.
A worker could take the E Line to their job in downtown Fremont and only have to walk 5 minutes to catch the bus--a walk that currently takes over 20 minutes
A trucker could haul goods across the Aurora Bridge in a Freight & Transit lane without getting stuck in traffic--and without putting pedestrians at the risk of getting struck by a side-view mirror
A tourist could safely walk or ride an electric scooter onto the Aurora Bridge to enjoy the sunset
A resident of Aurora Ave could walk along a tree-lined Aurora Ave to shop at thriving first-floor businesses just outside of their door

People of All Ages and Abilities Need a Place to Cross

The pedestrian overpass at N 41st St was completed in 1935 in response to an earlier pedestrian safety crisis on Aurora Ave. In the 1930s, pedestrians were expected to pause at concrete “safety islands” as they crossed the speedway. As noted by Seattle Now & Then, “of the 37 deaths on Aurora in the five years after the 1932 dedication of the Aurora Bridge, 20 were pedestrians and 11 were motorists who crashed into these safety islands.” While an improvement over those safety islands, this overpass is now a barrier to young children, the elderly, parents with strollers, cyclists, e-bikers, and neighbors with mobility issues.

To address the need for both an ADA-compliant pedestrian crossing and an “all ages and abilities” bicycle crossing, while potentially avoiding the cost of an expensive--but necessary--seismic retrofit:

Add a pedestrian signal on Aurora Ave N at N 41st St for people walking and biking
Modify curb ramps as needed
Add a median island to reduce cut-through traffic and encourage walking and biking
Create a Safe Route to School for BF Day, Hamilton Middle, and Lincoln High
Add wayfinding signs connecting to existing bike lanes and crossings at Fremont Ave and Stone Way
Reduce speed limits along this section of Aurora Ave to less than the current 40 mph

Add Some Shade… Some Green… and Some Color

Even though we are fortunate in Fremont to have sidewalks and curb ramps along both sides of Aurora Ave, it is an uninviting place to walk. While visual benefits of street trees are clear to see, a longitudinal study from 2019 found that “in neighbourhoods with a tree canopy of 30 percent or more, adults had 31 percent lower odds of developing psychological distress, and 33 percent lower odds of rating their general health as "fair" or "poor" over six years.”

Another example of a successful use of public greenspace along Aurora Ave is the Troll’s Knoll Park and P-Patch. Expanding Troll’s Knoll east of the Aurora Bridge would provide an obvious benefit to Fremont--but also to Aurora Ave, by reducing noise pollution and improving air quality.

Using Troll’s Knoll as a model for the entire Aurora Ave corridor in Fremont, the undeveloped greenspace could be repurposed for parklets, p-patches, and rain gardens.

Similarly, the “blank walls” currently facing Aurora Ave create a waiting canvas for murals and public art. In addition, there is a compelling opportunity to collaborate with the Fremont Arts Council to solicit designs from local artists for a series of memorials to all the people who have died on the Aurora Bridge. It’s the least we can do as a community.

A Better Aurora Bridge

The views from the Aurora Bridge are spectacular, yet are ignored by the drivers speeding across the bridge deck and are largely inaccessible to pedestrians and cyclists:

Walking across the Aurora Bridge is severely constrained by the narrow 4’ sidewalk, making it difficult for pedestrians to pass each other, much less walk two abreast
Biking across the Aurora Bridge, which is technically legal, is completely unsafe, and the few cyclists who brave the bridge typically ride on the narrow sidewalk, putting them in conflict with pedestrians and at risk of falling into the roadway
The motor vehicle lanes are so narrow that trucks and buses frequently “split the lane,” effectively reducing Aurora Ave to two-lanes in each direction

Repurposing the westernmost motor vehicle lane for a two-way protected bike lane solves all of these problems:

Constructing the bike lane at the same grade as the existing sidewalks creates a multi-use space for people walking and biking--and for just taking in the view!
Wide, dedicated Freight & Transit Lanes optimize bridge traffic for the movement of goods and people
Wider traffic lanes with a solid center barrier make travel much safer for motor vehicles

It Takes An Urban Village

Aurora Ave in Fremont is classified as an Urban Village Main Street, but it looks and functions like a highway. When asked, residents of Fremont do not consider Aurora Ave to be part of the neighborhood--but it could be!

Reduce speed limits in Fremont
Add an ADA-compliant, "all ages and abilities" crossing at N 41st St that reestablishes neighborhood walking & biking routes
Add more stops for the E Line and improve their accessibility
Plant trees in the parking strips along Aurora Ave
Prioritize the movement of goods and transit with dedicated Freight & Transit Lanes
Add a protected bike lane across the Aurora Bridge
Install observation stations on the Aurora Bridge for people to enjoy the spectacular views
Encourage development of additional buildings with first floor retail facing Aurora Ave
Develop parklets and p-patches in neglected public greenspaces
Support public art along Aurora Ave, such as painting murals on the “blank walls” currently facing the street

Your Thoughts And Ideas

As you walk along Aurora Avenue in Fremont, take note of what could be done to make it a more welcoming part of the neighborhood--and a viable option for all modes of travel and people of all ages, abilities, incomes, and backgrounds. Feel free to share your ideas for a better future for the Aurora Bridge with the Aurora Reimagined Coalition at https://www.got99problems.org/.