King County Metro Transit is putting the final touches on its extensive winter plan to keep people moving when the snow begins to fall or roads ice up.

“When the weather turns bad, we often see more people turning to public transportation,” said Metro General Manager Kevin Desmond. “They prefer to leave their cars at home, and let professional drivers deal with the road conditions and traffic headaches.”

Desmond said all of Metro’s newer buses are equipped with state-of-the-art traction control and anti-lock braking for better gripping and stopping on slippery streets. At this time of the year, vehicle maintenance crews are making sure all the buses in the 1,300-vehicle fleet are winter ready. And, communications and rider information staff have updated their plans to keep bus passengers informed about weather-related changes to bus service.

Desmond said the best thing bus riders can do to prepare for winter travel is to check out the adverse weather information for their particular route well in advance. That information is included on the paper and online timetables for most routes.

Here are some other tips for bus riders during bad weather:

• Keep timetables handy for quick reference when you hear Metro is modifying service because of snow or ice;
• If you do not normally ride the bus, check timetables ahead of time for routes serving your area and related adverse-weather information;
• Be patient. Buses are not always on schedule in snowy or icy conditions;
• Dress warmly for the walk to the bus stop and possible delays, and wear appropriate footwear for the weather;
• Head for bus stops on main arterials or at major transfer points such as malls, colleges, park-and-ride lots or transit centers;
• Riders should wait at bus stops at the very top or very bottom of hills, because buses are often unable to stop for passengers on inclines.

When road conditions warrant, Metro reroutes service or operates chained shuttles on some routes to avoid hazardous streets. Snow reroute information, where known, is available both online and in paper timetables. Reroutes may vary by route and by weather conditions, and often change quickly. The best thing to do is familiarize yourself ahead of time with the planned adverse weather routing for your most-used routes, then be aware of conditions in your area when getting ready to travel. In the past year, some snow routes have been changed, so passengers should not assume their bus travels exactly as it did last winter.

Depending on road conditions, Metro may operate chained shuttles along hilly portions of some routes to connect with buses that can continue service. These shuttles follow regular routing and are signed "shuttle." Routes that may use chained shuttles include: 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 13, 18, 21, 27, 32, 36, 42, 71, 74, 76, 101, 106, 187, 214, 234, 252, 255, 260, 304 and Metro-operated Sound Transit Express Route 540.

Other buses will follow their regular routes whenever possible, although adverse road and traffic conditions may warrant unplanned rerouting of buses to avoid hazards. Metro may implement reroutes any time, day or night. Buses will return to regular routing on a route-by-route basis as conditions allow.

Buses will continue to make regular stops in park-and-ride lots even if the snow has not been cleared. If conditions in a park-and-ride lot are hazardous, buses will pick up or drop off passengers on the street in front of the lot.

Carpool and vanpool riders should check with their drivers in advance to discuss plans for when it snows or roads become icy. Custom Bus riders should check their timetables for snow route information, then call (206) 684-1743 to find out if their buses will operate on revised routes.

Reroute information is also available in Metro Online, or by calling Metro Rider Information at (206) 553-3000/voice or (206) 684-1739/TTY. Sound Transit alerts are also posted online.

The increased ridership during bad weather can result in crowded buses and a longer-than-usual wait on the phone for the Rider Information Office. Plus, buses operate under the same – usually slower – traffic conditions that other vehicles do when roads are bad, which may mean a longer wait at the bus stop.

Transit customers are also encouraged to check media sources and the Regional Public Information Network (RPIN) for up-to-date information about local conditions.

Metro Transit timetables are available at local libraries, community colleges, major shopping malls and many work sites throughout King County.
 

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