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Metro Transit will keep on rolling during wintry weather

"Neither snow nor sleet nor dark of night ..." isn't just a slogan for the postal service, it's a maxim for public transportation as well. This photo from 1996 reminds us that when snow falls and ice forms, the buses must still get through.

As the weather turns colder, Metro Transit is busy preparing its fleet of buses, trolleys and vans to deal with snow, ice and other hazardous winter weather.

When road conditions warrant it, Metro reroutes service or operates chained shuttles on some bus routes to bypass hazardous, hilly streets.

Snow reroute information is available in timetables with the snowflake symbol on the front. Customers can also get reroute information from Metro Online or by calling Metro Rider Information at (206) 553-3000 (voice) or (206) 684-1739 (TTY).

Riders can also subscribe to King County Transit Alert!, an e-mail service that notifies subscribers when a significant number of Metro buses are rerouted because of bad weather or other disruptions.

And whenever possible, Metro's public information staff will announce to the news media which routes or areas are affected. Many radio stations announce changes in Metro service caused by snow or icy conditions.

Reroutes and/or chained shuttle information is shown in the current timetables for these routes:

• Seattle -- 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 15, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 31, 32, 33, 36, 37, 38, 39, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 48, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 60, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 79, 82, 83 and 97.
• South King County -- 101, 106, 107, 111, 113, 114, 116, 118, 119, 124, 128, 130, 132, 133, 135, 136, 137, 140, 148, 151, 155, 158, 160, 163, 164, 166, 168, 169, 170, 176, 181, 183, 186 and 187.
• Eastside -- 200, 201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 210, 212, 213, 214, 217, 219, 220, 222, 225, 229, 232, 234, 236, 238, 240, 242, 247, 249, 250, 251, 252, 253, 254, 255, 256, 257, 260, 261, 265, 266, 269, 271, 272, 277, 291, 342, 921, 922, 925, 927, 929 and 942.
• North King County -- 301, 302, 304, 306, 308, 311, 315, 358, 372, 377 and 943.

Depending on road conditions, Metro may operate chained shuttles along hilly portions of some routes to connect with buses that can continue the routes. These shuttles follow regular routing and are signed "Shuttle." Routes that may use chained shuttles are 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 13, 18, 21, 27, 32, 36, 42, 71, 74, 76, 101, 106, 136, 137, 176, 178, 187, 214, 234, 252, 255, 260, 304 and 315, 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.

When snowy or icy conditions prevail, Metro may implement reroutes any time, day or night. Metro will return buses to regular routing on a route-by-route basis as conditions improve.

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

Carpool and vanpool riders should check with their drivers to discuss snow plans before 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.

Metro vehicles are often more heavily used during bad weather, because people leave their cars at home. That can mean crowded coaches and a longer-than-usual wait on the phone for Rider Information. 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.

"We ask our riders and our potential riders to be prepared for bad weather," said Rick Walsh, Metro Transit general manager. "Know which routes will work for you, pick up those timetables, and check out the Metro Online Web site."

Here are some quick tips from Walsh for riding Metro during bad weather:

• Keep timetables handy for quick reference when you hear Metro is modifying service because of snow or ice.
• People who do not regularly ride the bus, but who may during adverse weather, should pick up timetables for routes serving their area ahead of time.
• Dress warmly for the walk to the bus stop, and wear appropriate footwear for the weather.
• Head for bus stops on main arterials.
• 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.
• Be patient. Buses are not always on schedule in snow or icy conditions.

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

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