Metro Transit advising customers to be ready for potential afternoon disruptions

UPDATE: Monday at 2:30 p.m.

Heading into the afternoon commute, Metro Transit reports snow accumulations occurring in some locations due to continued snow squalls moving through the county.

In the Burien area, some buses were temporarily stuck on snowy local roads earlier this afternoon during bursts of heavy snow. Driving has also been difficult since late morning in areas such as Black Diamond, Enumclaw and areas around Redmond and Kirkland. By mid-day, most bus routes were operating normally and on regular schedules.

Metro continues to alert customers that the weather is likely to be very unpredictable today, so be prepared for quickly changing travel conditions.  Metro is also prepared to chain buses if that becomes necessary.

Continue to check Metro's adverse weather Web page (be sure to refresh your browser with each visit) for transit status updates throughout the day.

Monday at 9 a.m.

The morning commute is winding down for Metro Transit, and it wrapped up with only a few weather-related disruptions reported. Most bus routes were on normal routing and regular schedules this morning.

But, the weather is likely to be very unpredictable today, so bus riders should be prepared for quickly changing travel conditions. Metro will have chained buses on standby for the afternoon commute if needed.

Continue to check Metro's adverse weather Web page (be sure to refresh your browser with each visit) for transit status updates throughout the day.

Monday at 7 a.m.

Metro Transit buses are operating on regular routes with normal schedules throughout most of King County as we head into the thick of the Monday morning commute. There have been some slick roads in the Burien and Tukwila areas, but it only resulted in a few intermittent reroutes.

Check Metro's adverse weather Web page (be sure to refresh your browser with each visit) for transit status updates.

Monday at 5:30 a.m.

More buses rolling out for the Monday morning commute. Metro supervisors are doing advance scouting in field to look for problem roads. Burien seems to have had the most accumulation of snow, but bus service operating close to normal there. Most other areas okay, so far.

Check Metro's adverse weather Web page (be sure to refresh your browser with each visit) for transit status updates.

Monday at 3:45 am

Early morning snow is showing up in a narrow band from Burien eastward. Metro Transit may start having some bus delays or snow routes in the higher elevations, such as the Renton Highlands and Lake Kathleen areas. Bus riders in those areas should check Metro's adverse weather Web page (be sure to refresh your browser with each visit) for transit status updates. Passengers in other areas of the county should do that as well this morning, particularly if there is snow and ice in the areas where you want to travel.

Sunday at 8 p.m.

March Madness doesn’t only apply to college basketball. It also describes the kind of weather experienced in King County this weekend – a wintry pattern that could continue into Monday and Tuesday and disrupt Metro Transit bus service.

Metro was able to maintain regular bus service throughout the weekend with a minimal number of reroutes and delays despite a series of snow squalls across the county. Looking ahead to Monday morning, Metro is preparing its buses for a variety of driving conditions and cautions bus riders to also be ready for changing weather.

A limited number of buses will be chained up tonight at each of Metro’s seven bases in case there are snowy roads early on Monday. That will give crews some time to chain more buses or remove them if the weather permits to speed up service. Based on this weekend’s weather, it is likely that it could be snowy or icy in one area of the county and not in another. The variable conditions could still slow bus service, because some Metro routes travel through several neighborhoods in a single trip. And, buses that have chains must travel at speeds below 35 mph, even on cleared roadways.

Bus passengers should be aware Metro service might be revised at any time Monday due to quickly changing weather and road conditions. Also, there could be delays throughout the system if travel conditions are bad in multiple areas.

If roads become impassable, buses may be put on snow routes. Check paper or online timetables for the adverse weather routing for your bus route. If the weather does not stabilize throughout the day tomorrow, it is possible that some buses could be chained up for Monday afternoon’s commute as well.
 
Here are a few reminders for bus riders when the weather is cold and snowy:
 
• If the roads are snowy or icy in your neighborhood or where you want to travel, expect transit 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 difficult 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.

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

Metro also has two new tools for sharing information about service disruptions. There is a new King County blog  and a Twitter account to both receive and share information about the travel conditions and bus service in your neighborhood.