This case study was written as part of our Dangerous by Design Technical Assistance program. This initiative brought together champions from across the country to advance street safety efforts through data collection and storytelling. This study was written by Natalie Lubsen from Transportation Choices Coalition.
There are too many news stories of people killed or injured on Aurora Avenue in Seattle, and most fail to tell the stories of the lives lost or forever altered. “A 73-year-old woman was hit and killed by a car while she was trying to cross Aurora Avenue North at Lynn Street.” “A driver heading up Aurora Avenue North hit a person crossing the street in a wheelchair, trapping the man underneath the vehicle on Wednesday evening.” These stories say very little about the people impacted or what will come after, but the violence they met with while trying to cross the street is clear.
Background
Frequently listed among the top ten most walkable cities, Seattle still grapples with challenges posed by major highways like Interstate 5 (I-5) and State Route 99 (SR-99, also called Aurora Ave N in North Seattle). These highways bisect neighborhoods and pose accessibility barriers and safety risks to people walking, biking, and rolling.
[alert type=”info”] 66% of all fatalities in urban settings occur on state-owned roads. Learn more in Dangerous by Design [/alert]
Aurora Avenue N is the deadliest street in Seattle. Also known as State Route 99, it’s a state highway that runs approximately 7.6 miles through North Seattle. It has between four and six lanes of traffic, wide lanes, and areas that lack sidewalks and safe and convenient crosswalks. It has speed limits of up to 40 mph, but recent speed studies show 17 percent of drivers exceed 55 mph. According to the Seattle Department of Transportation, “Aurora Avenue has a history of collisions, gaps in pedestrian facilities, inconsistent streetscape design, and accessibility barriers that make travel especially difficult for people with mobility challenges.”
“We urgently need to redesign and rebuild our Main Street Highways: state highways in population centers that are the most dangerous roads for pedestrians across Washington State. We should treat this like a megaproject, the same way we treat other highway projects. The coming legislative session is our opportunity to fund this work.”
-Kirk Hovenkotter, Executive Director at Transportation Choices Coalition
Taking Action