Rucker Fully Open Through Downtown Everett

It was long-delayed and there are still some finishing touches to go but Rucker is now completely open between Pacific and Everett Avenue in downtown Everett. Here’s the announcement from the city.

Rucker Renewal is open to traffic! Construction has reached substantial completion, and that means the barricades have been removed, and vehicles have full access through the project area. The contractor has some additional remaining work that will continue for a short time, so you will continue to see activity.

The landscaping, lighting, wide sidewalks, medians, mid-block crossings, revised lane configurations and ADA improvements make this section of downtown friendly, walkable and, ultimately, a place that people will want to live and work as well as visit. It’s truly now at the core of the downtown residential neighborhood, where people can safely and easily enjoy an active, healthy lifestyle and take part in the many cultural offerings available in downtown Everett. The project team thanks the Everett community for its support. We hope you’ll get out and see all the changes for yourself.

Here’s the background on the project from the City’s project page.

The Rucker Renewal project is a key piece of the City’s effort to distinguish this portion of Rucker Avenue as part of the core of the downtown residential neighborhood, rather than the more commercial character it exhibits south of the downtown core. Rucker Avenue runs three miles from its northwest end on residential Alverson Blvd to its intersection with the major arterial Evergreen Way to the south, where it splits off for eight blocks into another residential neighborhood. The 2016 freight mobility project improved pedestrian safety in Everett’s Central Business District by redirecting traffic flow for trucks and other vehicles traveling between Interstate 5 and the Port of Everett away from downtown.

As part of the project, the contractor will add pedestrian-friendly features, such as wider sidewalks, landscaping and new lighting, and will add landscaping and trees to the median.

Spurs local economic activity and promotes development
Walkability helps revitalize a downtown
Increases private investment
Supports the development of a good business climate
“Green dividend”
Residents who live downtown can spend money in ways other than transportation, such as housing, restaurants and entertainment
Reduced traffic congestion cost businesses when employees are stuck in traffic
Promotes healthy and active lifestyles
Helps increase environmental sustainability by decreasing automobile dependency, minimizing traffic and congestion and reducing carbon emissions
Designed to safely accommodate travelers of all ages and abilities
Enhances safety
Benefits to streetscape projects are hard to quantify, but data suggests a positive economic climate following a recent streetscape project on Hoyt. A 2015 parking study (the latest study period) showed higher parking utilization at the Hoyt/Colby node than in 2007 (the previous study period). This was the only area in the Central Business District where parking utilization rates were higher in 2015 than the pre-recession levels.