News from King County Department of Transportation
Release date:  Dec. 21, 2008

Snow, road closures to limit Metro bus service again Monday

King County Metro Transit will be operating approximately half of its regular service Monday morning, Dec. 22, because of ongoing difficult travel conditions due to heavy snowfall over the weekend. Also, roads throughout King County are expected to be dangerously icy Monday morning.

Please check the Metro Online website before you leave home to see if your bus route is operating and if it is on snow routing.

As it enters its 10th day of snow operations, Metro plans to operate with a level of service similar to last Friday. On Monday morning, about half of Metro’s and Sound Transit’s bus service in King County will be temporarily suspended due to weather and road conditions. If the roads clear during the day, Metro plans to add more service on the routes in operation.

Metro’s operations have been impacted by the weather throughout King County, but the hilly streets and amount of snowfall inside the city of Seattle have made travel in the city unusually difficult. Also, in many areas travel lanes have been restricted, which is slowing down both buses and general-purpose traffic.

Bus passengers should be aware that travel conditions can change quickly, and this list of disrupted service may be revised at any time due to weather and road conditions. In some locations, where roads are impassable for large buses, Metro will be operating chained shuttles.

In order to safely transport as many passengers as possible, Metro is focusing on providing bus service on cleared highways and arterial roads, and to major transit centers and park-and-ride lots.

Passengers should be prepared to board buses at major transit centers, flat arterials, or at the top or bottom of hills. Please dress warmly, wear appropriate footwear, and be prepared to wait. The buses that are running are expected to be significantly delayed.

This transit plan will continue until weather and road conditions improve, which means almost all bus service will be significantly limited. Metro appreciates everyone’s patience, and reminds customers that safety for passengers and bus drivers is the agency’s No. 1 concern.

Information about bus status is available on Metro’s Ice & Snow page, but conditions are changing rapidly. You can also call the Metro Customer Information Office at (206) 553-3000, but call volumes are high and there may be a wait to talk to a CIO representative. People should closely monitor the latest weather and traffic reports for information about travel conditions.