The newly renovated Aurora Village Transit Center was dedicated today with much praise for how the center is making transit connections faster, easier and more convenient for a variety of bus riders. But the project is remarkable on several fronts.

"These days, King County is under tremendous pressure to do more with less public money," said King County Executive Ron Sims. "This under-budget project is highly functional, meets the needs of an expanded group of passengers, and it is an attractive addition to the community."

Since 1983, use of the transit center – located on North 200th Street, just east of Aurora Avenue North – has steadily grown. It was one of Metro’s first transit centers, and it was starting to show its age.

But, King County wanted to give it more than just a facelift. So, the Transit Center was closed in November 2001 for a complete renovation and expansion. When it reopened for service earlier this month, it had 12 bus bays; covered and lighted waiting areas with seating; bicycle racks; and other onsite amenities.

One of the most innovative features is a bus bay that is dedicated exclusively for paratransit service, so that disabled riders have a safe, convenient, centralized location for transferring from one vehicle to another. It is the first Metro transit center that has been built with this level of facilities for paratransit service.

"Working with our partners, we have been able to design a facility that has key amenities for the disabled rider," said Sims. "There are shelters to wait under, benches to sit on and telephones for emergencies. With these features, we are increasing independence for people with disabilities, making it easier for them to reach the larger fixed route system."

King County also wanted to make sure the transit center functioned well for both Metro Transit and Community Transit of Snohomish County, since many riders use the Aurora Village Transit Center to transfer between the two transit systems. Community Transit was a partner in the planning and design of the center.

Another key partner was the city of Shoreline. The city was involved in the review and approval of the Transit Center design and traffic flow plan. City departments, such as police and parks, also reviewed the design. And, the city and county worked together to address citizens' concerns on bus re-routing through residential streets during construction.

"Shoreline was very cooperative throughout the permitting process, and kept this project moving toward a quick completion," said Sims.

Metropolitan King County Councilmember Carolyn Edmonds praised the city and surrounding neighborhoods for their help in transforming the once bland transit center into an attractive community amenity. The project includes artwork by Northwest artist Stuart Nakamura that is incorporated into several safety features at the Aurora Village Transit Center.

"Stuart’s artwork retells the Southern Puget Salish myth of Raven and Pheasant, but it also enhances the safety and security here at the transit center," said Edmonds. "The laser-cut railings improve pedestrian safety, and the etched glasswork deters graffiti."

Edmonds said the goal was to make the new transit center highly functional, but also a good fit with the Echo Lake residential neighborhood.

"I believe it is important to make our public facilities community assets," said Edmonds, who represents the Shoreline area on the County Council. "People respect a place that looks great and feels safe. Vandalism is minimized and maintenance costs are less. When we are able to include artists and their thinking in our projects, our investments last longer and communities are much more receptive to the new services and impacts of a new facility."

Edmonds pointed out that the funding for the public art in this project comes from the project’s construction budget, not the county’s general fund. That construction budget is funded by federal grants and local sales tax money specifically dedicated to transportation projects.

"It is not money that could be spent on parks or human services," she said.

The project, which came in under budget, used concrete recycled onsite to save money and reduce waste. That cut down on the amount of new material that had to be purchased for the project, reduced hauling costs, lessened truck traffic to and from the site, and decreased the amount of materials sent to local landfills.