Buses and snowplows are ready for our first snow of the season.

Winter in King County can bring out just about anything in Mother Nature's cold-weather cupboard - wind, rain, fog, ice, and snow. Although ice and snow storms are infrequent, every year the King County Department of Transportation develops comprehensive plans for its Roads and Transit divisions to keep people moving safely throughout King County during the winter months.

ROADS

The King County Road Services Division starts preparing for winter well before the bad weather hits. Snow removal equipment is positioned at ten maintenance offices throughout the county. The county's inventory of equipment includes 32 snowplows, 11 graders, and four de-icing trucks assigned to patrol more than 2,620 miles of roadway both in unincorporated King County and eight contract cities.

The overall goal is to provide the safest possible driving conditions for the public. Priority snow removal routes include:

Major arterials;

Metro Transit and school bus routes;

Emergency routes (i.e. hospital access roads); and

Access roads to freeways and park-and-ride lots.

Again this season, the Roads Division will have about 27,000 cubic yards of sand and 156 tons of salt immediately available for snow and ice operations. Stockpiles of sand and salt are located at several maintenance sites throughout the county.

When snowfall is significant, all road crews will be placed on split shifts to provide around-the-clock coverage. Although road crews have already received their snow removal route assignments, some of those workers can be shifted to other parts of the county if necessary.

Many residents are unaware of how icy county roads can be, especially during the early morning and late evening hours. All county motorists are cautioned to be aware of driving conditions before they leave home during the bad-weather months.

Residents are encouraged to report problems on roads in unincorporated King County by calling (206) 296-8100, or 1-800-KC ROADS if they live outside the greater Seattle calling area.

METRO TRANSIT

When the weather turns bad, there is often a surge in people using public transportation. They prefer to leave their cars at home, and let professional drivers deal with the road conditions and traffic headaches.

Metro Transit preps for winter road conditions and increased passenger loads with a comprehensive snow and ice plan. When road conditions warrant, Metro reroutes service or operates chained shuttles on some routes to avoid hazardous streets. Reroutes may vary by route and by weather conditions, and often change quickly.

Snow reroute information, where known, is available both online and in paper timetables. The best thing bus passengers can do is familiarize themselves ahead of time with the planned adverse weather routing for their most-used routes, then be aware of local conditions 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.

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.

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

Whether you travel in your own car or by bus, stay up-to-date on changing conditions via local television and radio stations, or with several online Websites that provide up-to-the-minute information or storm readiness advice:

Regionwide emergency advisories

Local road closures and conditions

King County and other agency traffic cameras

"Taking Winter By Storm" preparedness topics

Top

Monday Night Football returns to Seattle next week on Dec. 6, and Metro can smooth the path for your trip to Qwest Field.

When the game is on a weeknight, there are no special shuttles prior to the 6 p.m. kickoff. Instead, there are plenty of regular Metro routes that serve the stadium. Use Metro's convenient online trip planner to plot out the quickest way to the stadium.

After the game, football fans can use both regular service and the special shuttles for the trip home. For all the details on Seahawks Service, visit Metro Online.

Top

The new service consists of three daily flights. Kenmore Air will provide van shuttle service between SeaTac International Airport and KCIA.

With the new service to Mount Vernon, there are now a total of 21 regularly scheduled passenger flights leaving KCIA each day.

Top

The new RID was formed to improve Northeast 52nd Street from Ames Lake-Carnation Road to 298th Avenue Northeast. The project includes converting the private road easement to public right-of-way, paving the existing gravel road, and completing drainage improvements.

Formation of this RID was supported by 70 percent of the property owners within the assessment boundary. The estimated project cost is $922,000, to be split by the county and property owners.

The project is now in the design phase, with construction anticipated to start in 2006. Property owners within RID No. 133 will receive periodic updates on the project status. 

Top

Here is a list of King County Department of Transportation projects that may disrupt traffic and travel in the coming weeks:

Northeast 124th Street, north of Redmond - Work continues for the next few weeks on the Northeast 124th Street project between Willows Road and State Route 202. Most of the work now is concentrated at the bridge over the Sammamish River.

South 277th Street, between Auburn and Kent - Motorists may experience periodic traffic disruptions on South 277th Street between the West Valley Highway and 72nd Avenue South through October 2005 as a result of a major reconstruction project.

Top