From the base of the stairs leading to the bridge over North 155th Street, Shoreline Mayor Bob Ransom addressed a crowd of residents June 16 at the Aurora Corridor, N. 145th to 165th streets, ribbon-cutting dedication ceremony.
“The outstanding turnout symbolizes what this project means to our community,” Mayor Ransom said. “I am pleased to see the community make use of these projects.”
Unveiling a bronze plaque to be a permanent fixture at the site, he listed names of current and former council members, city staff, state representatives and business partners and thanked Shoreline residents on behalf of the city.
“This journey began with our citizens and continues with them as we move onto the next step of the Aurora Corridor project,” Ransom said. “We look forward to going the whole distance and completing the remaining two miles.”
Before the dedication ceremony, musical entertainment was provided by the Einstein Middle School Jazz Band and residents snacked on refreshments. The Shorecrest High School Marching Band also marched across a bridge and faced the crowd along Aurora Avenue to perform a few musical selections.
During the dedication, Congressman Jay Inslee said he remembered picking blackberries as he campaigned throughout the area in 1998 and was excited to see the cumulation of the first phase of the Aurora Corridor project and the Interurban Bridges.
“According to the U.S. Congress, there are four main truly American bridges,” Congressman Inslee said. “They are the Golden Gate in San Francisco, the Brooklyn Bridge in New York and the twin bridges in Shoreline.”
On a more serious note, he said the Aurora Corridor project is both a way to address environmental and health issues and an example to other American cities.
“It’s the personification of our efforts to get kids walking, running and riding their bicycles because we are not going to allow American kids to suffer obesity in the next generation,” he said.
During the ceremony, Ransom accepted a congratulatory plaque from the Transportation Improvement Board and an award for project completion from the Puget Sound Regional Council on behalf of the city. Current and former council members lined up along a green ribbon extended over a sidewalk before Ransom cut the ribbon and kids on bikes were allowed to ride through toward the bridge over Aurora Avenue.
“I don’t think there’s a city employee in the last 10 years who has not touched this project in one way or another,” city manager Bob Olander said. “This vision really came out of the Shoreline community and we need to dedicate this project to residents past, current and future.”
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