Metro Transit ready for weekend snow

11 p.m. Saturday update:

Snow showers seem to be easing up Saturday night in most locations and that’s helping most previously rerouted buses return to normal operations. But the forecasters are telling us there still is a risk of quick bursts of heavy snow which could renew the chance of service disruptions and/or delays overnight and Sunday morning.

So if you are planning ride the bus, make sure you check out Metro Online regularly for transit updates. And, don't forget that Daylight Saving Time starts Sunday.

2 p.m. Saturday:

Snow squalls stormed through King County Saturday morning with little disruption to Metro Transit bus service, but that might not be the case later today. With heavier accumulations forecast for this afternoon and evening, Metro crews have geared up for snow through Sunday.

There are 30 extra buses chained up at each of Metro’s seven bases ready to go if driving conditions begin to deteriorate. That will give crews time to chain up more buses as they are needed. In anticipation of snow, all the electric trolley buses – which have traction problems on slick streets – were replaced with diesel buses for this weekend’s service. Extra staff has also been called in to work through the weekend in the field and at radio centers, customer communication offices, and the bases.

Metro debuted two new communication tools on Saturday morning designed to provide more information about transit service status. Both a new King County blog and a King County Twitter account attracted many visits and submissions about local weather conditions in King County neighborhoods.

On weekends, the Metro system is not as busy as it is during commute times and weekdays. About 60 percent of Metro’s fleet is in use during the day on weekends, and even less at night. Still, many people depend on Metro buses for weekend travel. Here are some tips to remember when traveling by bus in icy and snowy weather:

• If the roads are icy in your neighborhood or where you want to travel, expect delays and possible reroutes away from hills and iced-over roads;

• Head for bus stops on main arterials or at major transfer points such as park-and-ride lots, transit centers, or shopping 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;

• Dress warmly and wear appropriate footwear for the walk to the bus stop and for possible longer waits for buses; and

• Please be patient. Buses are not always on schedule in snowy or icy conditions. That is why it is hard to post real-time bus information on the Metro website. And, increased ridership during bad weather can result in crowded buses and a longer-than-usual wait on the phone for the Customer Information Office at (206) 553-3000.

As route specific information about delays and disruptions becomes available, it will be posted online. Look for the link to the adverse weather information at the top center of the page. Also, the Metro Customer Information Office offers 24/7 telephone service at (206) 553-3000.