We asked Seattle city candidates to provide us with their visions for Aurora Avenue. Below are the statements we received from candidates in the upcoming August 5 primary.
Mayoral Candidates
Bruce Harrell
Image Credit: bruceforseattle.com
For Seattle to continue to rise, our neighborhoods can’t stay stagnant. That’s why we must envision a new kind of neighborhood along Aurora Avenue North. For too long, despite caring and involved neighbors, the dominant vision of Aurora has consisted of underutilized spaces and illicit activities. The community deserves a neighborhood that is safe and welcoming, with a built environment and an energy to match.
Later this year, we will announce the Northern Lights Project – an effort led with public safety in mind to redefine this area and optimize great, already existing assets, Bus Rapid Transit, parks like Bitter Lake Playfield, and fantastic restaurants and small businesses. We will be seeking input from the community and groups such as Aurora Reimagined Coalition on what they would like to see.
Katie Wilson
Image Credit: wilsonforseattle.com
Aurora Avenue N. has long been one of Seattle’s most dangerous streets. We have to do better. Years ago when I lived on Phinney Ridge and routinely had occasion to visit or cross Aurora, my husband and I used to dream of turning it into a Venetian style canal. That’s probably not the most practical vision, so instead let’s focus on transforming it into the Urban Village Main Street the City has already designated much of it as. As we plan for thousands more units of housing along Aurora, this corridor needs to be quieter, greener, and above all safe for people walking, rolling, and biking. It should feature more convenient and accessible crossings to connect the neighborhoods on either side. Transit should be fast, frequent, and reliable. And the City must partner with small businesses and community stakeholders to foster vibrant business districts and address ongoing public safety issues. As mayor, I will prioritize Aurora and lead on ensuring that we use the $50 million from the Legislature for a robust demonstration project that will show the potential of this corridor and build political momentum for its continuing transformation.
Joe Mallahan
Image Credit: joemallahanforseattlemayor.com
My vision for Aurora Avenue starts and finishes with eliminating human trafficking, drug trafficking and homelessness along the Aurora Track.
First, we need to get the 5,000 people suffering addiction on our streets into emergency housing and, as they begin to recover from the trauma of homelessness, provide wrap-around services and gently press them into treatment. You can't treat addiction on the streets. Fixing this problem is a big chunk of the fix for Aurora.
Second, we need to get our police department adequately staffed. We're spending $100 million per year on overtime, and response times and effectiveness on Aurora suffers because of the staffing problem. I'll fix morale, improve culture, and connect SPD to the community. This will fix the massive attrition problem we face at SPD. At the same time, I will automate traffic policing (radar and automatic citation) which will improve safety and walkability on Aurora, MLK, Rainier Ave and other high-speed-violation thoroughfares. and I will civilianize administrative tasks so that armed officers have bandwidth to properly police the Aurora Track.
We need an activist mayor to work shoulder-to-shoulder with SPD and human service providers to solve homelessness and human trafficking in all parts of Seattle, especially the Aurora Track.
City Attorney
Erika Evans
Image Credit: electerikaevans.com
The Aurora corridor is a place where we can reclaim space for an economically vibrant, sustainable, and safe mixed-use urban environment, that is people-centered, and where community members can thrive. The City Attorney’s Office can be a strong partner in advising and constructing legal frameworks that support these improvements—reflecting our shared vision of an Aurora corridor that is accessible, safe, affordable and welcoming to all.
City Council District 2
Eddie Lin
Image Credit: linforseattle.com
I support a vision that re-imagines Aurora as one that is safe, affordable, and much more pedestrian and transit friendly, rather than the current situation where Aurora is too much like a highway that divides and endangers and pollutes the surrounding neighborhoods.
Council Position 8
Alexis Mercedes-Rinck
Image Credit: alexisforseattle.com
The Aurora Avenue corridor, from the Tunnel North Entrance to the border at 145th Street, can serve as an national example of urban transformation and community reinvestment. Leading with resident needs and perspectives, we can design an Aurora that puts people first, from healthy, accessible and affordable housing for neighbors no matter their stage of life, to mobility options that improve safety and access for those walking, rolling, biking or riding transit. As Aurora becomes more accessible, when people of different cultural and working backgrounds are able to live and navigate the streets safely, this will only bolster foot traffic for small businesses along Aurora. Built environment changes for mobility can also pave the way for the creation of new green spaces and pocket gardens.
Aurora Avenue corridor can be a transportation artery, a destination for small business and green spaces, and most importantly, a safe and livable community for all.
*Note: Alexis Mercedes-Rinck provided this statement in 2024.
Council Position 9
Dionne Foster
My vision for Aurora Ave North is a community that is safe, affordable, and vibrant for everyone who lives and works along the corridor. It starts with investing in our built infrastructure so that residents are safe to walk to local small businesses and take transit throughout the city. With smart investments we can design and create an area that works well for diverse users, promotes safety for pedestrians and advances Seattle towards our goal of zero traffic deaths by 2030.
Aurora Ave should also be a place where people of all incomes can afford to live - and we can achieve that through continuing to allow diverse housing types all around the city, alleviating pressure on our housing market. With collaborative work we can ensure Aurora can move people from point A to point B, welcome people to local businesses and promote community safety.