Along the Mother Road
State Route 99 is an iconic roadway — a relic from Seattle’s early days when the city dreamed that free and easy travel by car would attract people to its center, and later, help them bypass congestion downtown.
But what sped by was time. The road is better known today for its seedier side — prostitution, homelessness, discount stores and car dealerships.
Seattle’s growth is bringing changes and tensions to the throughway some call Seattle’s “Mother Road.” We look at what it tells us about where we came from and where we’re going.
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What would you want in a Highway 99 toll? (Besides no toll at all)
Drivers will have a free ride on the state Route 99 tunnel in Seattle when it first opens this fall. After a few months, however, expect to pay a toll...
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Why Highway 99 got pulled from our seismic lifeline — despite the new tunnel
Soon, state Route 99 — and the rest of us —will have a new asset: a completed Alaskan Way tunnel. The $3.2 billion tunnel provides an earthquake-safe...
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VIDEO: A short history of how Seattle’s tunnel finally got made
When Seattle's Alaskan Way Viaduct was built in the 1950s, we didn't know much about earthquakes. California's Loma Prieta quake in 1989 opened our eyes...
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Oh, the people you'll meet on Seattle's most crowded bus line
The RapidRide E Line is Seattle's most crowded bus route, with more than 17,000 boardings each weekday. It connects Aurora Avenue North to downtown.
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5 reasons a tunnel is safer than the Alaskan Way Viaduct
The Seattle region has been growing so fast, there are now 400,000 more people here than in 2009, when we agreed to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct with...
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Not just groundskeepers; sometimes they’re a shoulder to cry on
Have you ever wondered what it's like to work at a cemetery? Here's your chance to find out.
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The tragic story behind Seattle’s biggest cemetery
Seattle’s biggest cemetery begins with a tragic story.
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Running a legit business on Aurora, amid pimps and hustlers
JE Wheels and Tires is the first business you pass as you enter the city of Seattle on Aurora from Shoreline. Here's what it's like to work on the...
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How Seattle's other Amazon found a home on Aurora
Originally, the Nguyens were fish breeders, supplying the region’s pet stores. Aurora Avenue North was good for that: Highways are where you want to be...
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This tiny house village is a lifeline for some, a nuisance to others
The Licton Springs Tiny House Village on Aurora Avenue North in Seattle differs from the other city-authorized homeless encampments . Of the six...
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See that dumpster? I used to live behind it
David Wickingstad is homeless on Aurora. He gives us a personal walking tour of the spaces that help him survive along this neglected highway.
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Old Aurora motels, Seattle’s unofficial homeless shelters
The motels on Aurora Avenue are a throwback to a Seattle of days gone by, with their weather-beaten signs and green vacancy lights flashing.