|
|
Metro benefits from two Homeland Security grants
King County Metro Transit and
other transit and public safety agencies will be given new tools to
increase their readiness to respond to major security incidents thanks
to two grants totaling more than $600,000 awarded by the U.S. Department
of Homeland Security.
The first Homeland Security grant will fund a variety of prevention and
response activities. In addition supporting a new specially trained
multi-jurisdictional Rapid Deployment Force made up of personnel from
the King County Sheriff’s Office, Seattle Police Department, and
Washington State Patrol, the $350,000 grant will help pay for enhanced
communications equipment and special incident command and response
vehicles. The funding will also help strengthen transit-related
information sharing and collaboration between the agencies and team
members.
A second grant, amounting to $281,000, will be used to help fund initial
installation of a state-of-the-art hazardous material detection and
response system in the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel. The system will
provide Metro. SPD, and the Seattle Fire Department with the ability to
identify various types of potentially hazardous materials and allow them
to more effectively respond to such an incident.
Russ Johnson earns national recognition
 It’s
shaping up as a banner year for Russ Johnson from the King County
Department of Transportation’s
Fleet Administration
Division. Not only was he elected secretary of the western chapter
of the National Property Management Association (NPMA), but he also was
designated one of the chapter’s “Outstanding Members” in August.
A 22-year King County employee, Johnson is the supervisor of surplus
property for Fleet, where he manages the highly successful semi-annual
vehicle and equipment auctions. Johnson has been an NPMA member since
1987, and has held each office in the association at the chapter level.
Salmon Days will impact weekend transit service in
Issaquah
 The
annual Issaquah Salmon Days Festival will cause reroutes for transit
service this Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 7 and 8. But, there is a
combination of public and private shuttles to help people navigate
through town.
Metro routes 209 and 271, plus Sound Transit 554, will not travel
through downtown Issaquah during the festival. Metro will provide a
shuttle van marked as “Route 271” between the Issaquah Park-and-Ride on
State Route 900 to Front Street in Issaquah. See
Metro Online for details.
Festival organizers are also providing private shuttles between that
park-and-ride and the Issaquah Highlands Park-and-Ride north of
Interstate 90. Metro and Sound Transit passes and transfers will not be
accepted on the privately operated Salmon Days Shuttles.
And for those of you going to Salmon Days, watch for the Metro entry in
Saturday’s parade. |
