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Week of Oct. 23, 2006
Never too early to prepare for winter
 Halloween is not even here yet, and the fall weather has been pretty glorious so far, but that doesn’t mean that winter is not on the minds of the crews of the King County Road Services Division.
As soon as the rush of summer work was finished up in mid-September, Road Services Division staff began thinking about the winter ahead. A winter-prep day was recently held at each of the division’s regional maintenance yards. The maintenance staff spent part of the day in the classroom learning about updated emergency response plans – including snow and ice, flooding, wind, and earthquake.
Then, it was outside to practice with the equipment that is used to keep the roads cleared during winter storms. The county’s inventory of storm-response gear includes 47 heavy-equipment rigs that plow snow, de-ice roads, push fallen trees, and many that can be specialized to the task at hand.
 Crews practiced on the different trucks and graders. Reviewed how to fill the trucks with sand and de-icer. Checked all the de-icing stockpiles to make sure there are sufficient amounts of the materials on hand. And, drilled on the 800 MHz radio system to ensure that communications in the field will go smoothly.
“We find these practice days make the actual storm response go much smoother,” said Leo Griffin, assistant Roads Maintenance manager. “During a big storm, we could have more than 200 people out in the field. This is a very practical way to handle training and get us all in the right frame of mind for winter.”
Outside of the practice drills, maintenance crews are also out in the field checking known problem areas. Griffin says these include spots where the hillsides are prone to sliding, where roadsides abut streams that can washout the shoulders, and checking for any new cracking or buckling in county roads.
“Even though we are responsible for more than 1,800 miles of roads in the unincorporated areas, our staff is very familiar with the road system and can tell quickly if a situation has changed over time,” said Griffin. “During the early fall, they are traveling around the county getting a baseline check before the storm season starts.”
As we enter the storm season, residents can help protect roads and property from flooding by clearing leaves and other debris from storm drains during heavy rain. Residents can also help by reporting problems with roads, traffic signals or signage in their unincorporated neighborhoods. The Roads Division staffs a telephone hotline 24/7 and encourages people to call in when they see a problem. The number is (206) 296-8100 or 1-800-KC-ROADS (800-527-6237).
The King County Department of Transportation’s Fleet Administration Division has just been named the ninth best fleet operation in North America by Fleet Equipment Magazine. This is a very significant accomplishment considering there are 36,000 public fleets in North America. The Fleet Division is headed by Windell Mitchell, who manages a $22 million annual budget for fleet services, two maintenance facilities, and the acquisition, maintenance, and disposal of 2,500 cars, trucks, and heavy off-road equipment countywide. The division is also recognized as being one of the greenest fleet operations in the nation, given its large inventory of hybrid vehicles and use of alternative fuels. The “100 Best Fleets” program recognizes and rewards peak performing fleet operations. The list of criteria for the award is lengthy, and includes documented: performance measurements; technology deployment plans; minimal return repairs for the same piece of equipment; conservation of resources; and individualized staff development plans.
Metro bus service at Sea-Tac International Airport will be revised during the week of Oct. 30 to accommodate construction at the airport. From the start of transit service on Monday, Oct. 30 until the airport roadway is re-opened sometime during the day on Friday, Nov. 3, Metro and Sound Transit buses will not operate – or stop – at the bus stops adjacent to Sea-Tac Airport. The transit revisions for next week vary by route. See Metro Online for complete information about revised transit service, bus stops, walking directions, and transferring.
Pacific Standard Time (PST) officially starts at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 29, and Metro bus riders should keep that in mind when taking early trips. On Saturday night, Oct. 28, all Saturday service, including Night Owl trips that leave the Central Business District at 2:15 a.m. and 3:30 a.m., operate on Daylight Saving Time. If you ride the bus Saturday night, including the 2:15 a.m. and 3:30 a.m. Owls, wait to set your clocks back until after you are done riding buses for the night. All trips leaving the bus bases on Sunday morning operate on Pacific Standard Time. If you are planning to ride Sunday morning service, be sure to set your clock back Saturday night. |
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The long-awaited transit and HOV ramps [external link] on Interstate 90 at Eastgate are now open. Built by Sound Transit – in partnership with the Washington State Department of Transportation, King County and the City of Bellevue – these ramps allow buses and carpools to avoid the notorious back-ups at the freeway exits in the Eastgate and Factoria area. The ramps also provide a direct connection to the Eastgate Park-and-Ride via 142nd Place Southeast, and remove dozens of bus trips from the general-purpose traffic lanes every day. Most of the bus routes are using the ramps and 142nd Place to access the park-and-ride to board passengers. That includes: Metro routes 225 and 229; ST routes 554, 555 and 556; and most trips on Metro 212. One route – Metro 218 – just stops at the top of the ramp to pick up and drop off passengers waiting at the flyer stop, which is a short walk to the park-and-ride.
It’s homecoming for the University of Washington Huskies this weekend, and they’re hoping for a happy one as the football team hosts the Arizona State Sun Devils in a 4 p.m. kick off at Husky Stadium. Your ride is free on any Metro bus when you show your Husky game ticket or ticket stub to the bus driver. In addition to regular bus service to and from campus, there is also special shuttle service between the stadium and eight park-and-ride lots: Shoreline; Northgate Transit Center; Houghton; Kingsgate; South Kirkland; Eastgate; South Renton; and Federal Way. See Metro Online for details on service to the game. |
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