Aurora Ave N Safety Planning Survey

The Seattle Department of Transportation has been conducting a study to plan for safety improvements along Aurora Avenue N. They have released the results of a survey of people interested in safety on Aurora. The report can be reached at this link. The Executive Summary is shown below.

Executive Summary
Overall, the survey focused on:
1. Understanding how, when, and for what purposes people use the Aurora Ave N/State Route 99
corridor.
2. Identifying the types of safety and mobility improvements that are important for people walking,
biking, and driving through Aurora Ave N/State Route 99 corridor.
3. Identifying areas of improvement for public transit, specifically E-Line/RapidRide service.
4. Identifying key crossing locations on Aurora Ave N/State Route 99 corridor.
5. The most relevant values and challenges to consider when planning and designing the study for
the Aurora Ave Project.
2,082 people responded to the survey. Of these, 1,982 identified their ethnicity as follows: 73% white,
1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 8% Latino (a), 14% Asian, 4% Black, 2% Indigenous/First People of
the Americas, 2% Middle Eastern and 6% said they identified themselves otherwise. Participation is
almost equal between men (46%) and women (47%). Most respondents identified their age between 26
– 45 years old (56%), and with no disabilities (88%) as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act.
(See Demographics – who did we talk to? section for in-depth demographic data).
In the survey, the main improvement identified by respondents is safety infrastructure for people
walking and biking. For example, sidewalks, signalized and marked crossings, and physical separation
from motorized traffic. Another area of improvement respondents prioritized is collision reduction
measures that address speeding and high traffic.
These areas of improvement are also highlighted in the open-ended responses. Keywords such as
“walk”, “sidewalks” and “crosswalks” were mentioned 1,043 times by survey participants in the openended responses, and “bike” and “bike lane” were mentioned 762 times. Keywords such as “speed”,
“fast” and “speeding” were mentioned nearly 400 times.
The top transit improvements identified by respondents are related to the lack of bus connectivity and
the location of current bus stops.
In terms of crossing locations, the N 130th St crossing was identified by the respondents as both one of
the busiest and most avoided crosswalks. Other busy and most used crossing locations identified are the
N 85th St and Bridge Way N crossings. While the other most avoided crossings are the N 125th St, N
46th St, and N 85th St crossings.
Regarding improvements indirectly related to road infrastructure, most respondents expressed social
concerns, like personal safety and crime, as the main issue that needs to be addressed. This feedback
will be considered as we evaluate corridor designs and shared with the Seattle Police Department and
the Human Services Department who have ongoing efforts to address these social issues on the
corridor.
Additional community feedback will be solicited during the future phases of the Aurora Ave Project to
shape the future vision of the corridor and transit services. We will consider this feedback alongside
data and technical recommendations as we develop design options