The Aurora Ave Community Advisory Group brings together community members to share input on transportation planning, goals, priorities, and future design options. Members will meet 8–12 times over two years.
Next CAG meeting: Wednesday, December 2, 2026, 5-8 pm at Evergreen Washelli.
Community Advisory Group Meetings
Community Advisory Group (CAG) participants, SDOT staff, and a representative from OPCD, at Aurora Ave N and N 130th St during the corridor site tour on September 30, 2026.
Meeting 2 - September 30th, 2026
On September 30, CAG members toured Aurora Ave N on the RapidRide E Line, stopping at N 130th St and N 46th St to see how conditions change along the corridor. Afterward, the group gathered at Evergreen Washelli for dinner and a discussion of what they saw. Members shared feedback at each stop, through online and paper surveys, and over dinner.
Participants highlighted the need for safer and more convenient crossings, continuous and accessible sidewalks, better lighting, more trees and greenery, less traffic noise and speeding, and reliable, accessible transit. Many described Aurora as trying to be both a highway and a neighborhood main street. The project team will share key themes back at the next meeting to help shape how the CAG evaluates future design ideas.
Meeting 1- July 15th, 2026
This kick-off meeting started with introductions, reviewing draft guidelines for the group, questions and feedback.
Participants did an activity called “Dream, Play, Build.” In small groups, they recreated childhood memories and built an ideal plaza. Common themes emerged around creating a sense of belonging and community, playfulness and freedom, being close to nature and water, and places for people of all ages and abilities to gather. The last activity of the evening was an interactive timeline of Aurora Ave N to build a shared historical context for the work we are doing together.
Advisory Group Members
Participants were chosen to represent a diverse range of people who live, work, learn, worship, or spend time near Aurora Ave N. Some participants represent an organization affiliated with Aurora Ave N, while others bring their own lived experience on the corridor.
- Ankur Dhoot - Seattle Streets Alliance - Ballard Fremont Green Streets
- Anne Lapora - PROVAIL
- Bean Fairbanks - A social worker and health educator with direct experience working with vulnerable individuals along the Aurora corridor, and lived experience with disability. Bean lives near Aurora Ave N.
- Carlo Alcantara - Aurora Reimagined Coalition
- Dan Cole - Mosaic Community Church
- Devin Murphy - Robert Eagle Staff Middle School
- George Epie - DESC's Aurora House
- Glenn Merrill - Dunn Lumber
- Jamie "Autumn" Gray Eakin - Brings lived experience with disability, homelessness, and long‑term recovery, along with technical and peer‑support skills. Autumn lives near Aurora Ave N.
- Juan Caicedo - Transportation engineer and resident of the South Lake Union & Westlake neighborhoods
- Lorie Ann Larson - Aurora Commons
- Marco Gutierrez - A small business owner operating directly on Aurora Ave N providing automotive services
- Mariela Fletcher - National Chair of the National Federation of Filipino American Association, a realtor, and a business owner
- Matthew Malloy - Teacher at Seattle Public Schools
- Melissa Amrhein - Northwest Greenways
- Melody Xie - A retired teacher from Lakeside High School and respected community leader who lives in North Seattle near Aurora Ave N.
- Scott Sheehan - Evergreen Washelli Funeral Home and Cemetery
- Stephanie Driver - The Inn Shelter
- Victor Chung - A former AAA Washington service provider of 19 years who delivered roadside assistance along Aurora Ave N