Metro announces new snow plan

Submitted by Travis Mayfield on Friday, November 6th, 10:25am

King County Executive Kurt Triplett and county transportation officials have announced a series of improvements designed to keep bus riders and road users better informed when winter storms strike.

Triplett says all snow bus routes have been revised and that storm buses will only operate on roughly 70 predetermined routes.

Metro is also preparing a new color-coded bus congestion online map to help riders predict bus service.

Bus riders are encouraged to sign up online for new Metro Transit Alerts to recieve emails and text messages when bus service is disrupted.

The King County roads department has purchased twice as much salt/deicer this winter and is testing new traction tires for buses. They'll also have 5 more snow plows on roads this year if needed.

The county hopes to be able to track buses in real time in the future with GPS systems, but Triplett says that will not likely be available until 2011.

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Comments

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Friday, November 6th, 01:13pm.

Good for the bus riders. Now, how about those of us without any workable transit solutions, who will still be out trying to navigate the roads in our own vehicles? Some help there would be appreciated too!

Submitted by ToreUs (not verified) on Friday, November 6th, 02:03pm.

Obviously you're like all the other non-transit users...you take responsibility for your own actions as much as you can. Try to arrange to work from home, if possible. Make sure your automobile is prepared for the weather, including snow tires and an emergency kit. If you want "help" so much, consider living or working somewhere that does give you viable transit options. Other than that, what would you like the government to do for you? Are you willing to pay the taxes to give you that help?

Submitted by quorndawg (not verified) on Friday, November 6th, 03:34pm.

Do you get nose bleeds sitting on such a high horse?

Submitted by choli0090 (not verified) on Friday, November 6th, 02:43pm.

Will you clear clearify what you mean by workable transit solutions?

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Friday, November 6th, 02:20pm.

Does anyone know if sound transit has any projections for how snow will effect the light rail? I live on Beacon Hill and would LOVE if this were running in adverse weather. Since the 48 busses now stop at Mount Baker Station, I don't know how anyone in columbia city or rainier beach is expected to get out. "ToreUs" perhaps there are people living in the city that are no longer serviced by metro. Perhaps the old addage, think before you speak, is appropriate here.

Submitted by choli0090 (not verified) on Friday, November 6th, 02:45pm.

I can't see if effecting it that much, (unless someone slides their car onto the track & smashes into one of the L.R. cars) Sounder ran in the snow, so I'm thinking the Light rail would still run, unless their was a power outage