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News from King County Department of Transportation
Release date:  Oct. 30, 2007

County’s storm response plan
synchs up across jurisdictions

The King County Department of Transportation (KCDOT) is ready to roll out a new coordinated effort to keep people moving during the worst winter storms. Not only will storm response be better synched between the department’s roads and transit divisions; but also between the county, the state, local cities, and public utilities.

“Bad weather doesn’t care where the county line ends or where city limits are drawn on a map,” said KCDOT Director Harold Taniguchi. “When our region is hit by a major storm, we are all in it together. Our agencies each have primary responsibilities, but there are many ways we can work together to protect people and property.”

After last year’s harsh storm season, Taniguchi led an effort to improve communication and storm response planning between public work directors and utility coordinators serving King County. Transportation staff continues to meet regularly to develop ideas and plans.

“We know this is a work in progress, and we will be testing and refining our new plans with each new storm,” said King County Road Services Division Director Linda Dougherty, “But, we’ve accomplished much just by sitting down to talk together about lessons learned and identifying ways to better support each agency’s storm response procedures and capabilities.”

For example, Dougherty said a real problem spot in last December’s windstorm was the Woodinville-Duvall Road where more than 50 trees were toppled in a 5-mile stretch and the road was closed for five days. County crews needed to remove the downed trees, but couldn’t do that until Puget Sound Energy (PSE) workers repaired fallen live electrical lines. But, in many cases, the trees were in the way of PSE crews. 

Since last winter, PSE has developed Utility Road Clearing task forces to establish direct communication between line crews and field personnel from other agencies to speed clean up and repair efforts. Dougherty said this will help reduce the amount of time that storm-stressed roads are closed.

Even when roads are open, snow and ice can make them impassable for buses and other large vehicles. King County Metro Transit has been working with the county Road Services Division, the state, and local cities to match up snow plowing priority routes with bus routes. So far, 27 cities have joined Metro to either map priority snow routes or tighten the linkages with transit routes. 

 “A single bus route can travel many miles and cross several jurisdictions, but the trip can come to a dead stop if the snow or ice in one area hasn’t been dealt with,” said Metro Transit General Manager Kevin Desmond. “Coordinating with the roads and public works departments across the county will be extremely helpful in keeping our buses moving during adverse weather.”

Another new partnership teams up Metro and the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to provide more towing service for buses that do become stuck. The agencies have a new agreement that allows WSDOT Incident Response Teams to push Metro buses to the nearest freeway exit to clear blocked lanes and ramps. Desmond said Metro has also entered into similar agreements with private towing companies.

Other new or beefed-up efforts for the KCDOT this winter, include:

• More strategic use of variable messaging signs on King County roads to alert motorists to closures ahead, such as those caused by flooding or downed trees. The portable signs will be placed in locations where motorists have a chance to turn around or detour before they get to the closure;
• Chained bus shuttles to serve the Issaquah Highlands Park-and-Ride when the steep roads connecting the park-and-ride to Interstate 90 become slick and snowy. The 40-foot chained buses will transport Metro and Sound Transit bus passengers between the Highlands garage and the Issaquah Park-and-Ride;
• More information on Metro Online about bus reroutes due to snow and ice, including area of reroute and if chained shuttles are in use;
• From November through February, the Road Services Division will continue last year’s practice of putting two crews on overnight patrol throughout the unincorporated areas to respond to flooding, ice, and other hazards that could disrupt morning travel;
• Staging additional de-icer equipment at four of the Roads Division’s maintenance yards to cover more territory more quickly; and
• The Road Services Division also bought 50 new chainsaws that emit fewer pollutants than older equipment. The new saws are lighter, have more horsepower, and are more fuel-efficient.

Updated:  October 30, 2007

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