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Transportation Today
Week of Oct. 29, 2007

Agencies team up to ‘Take Winter By Storm’ with new coordinated response plans

Woodinville-Duvall Road
The Woodinville-Duvall Road was closed for five days in December after a windstorm.
This year, the King County Department of Transportation is synching up winter storm response plans not only between the department’s roads and transit divisions; but also between the county, the state, local cities, and public utilities.

As part of the annual “Take Winter By Storm” program, KCDOT Director Harold Taniguchi announced that efforts are underway to improve communication and storm response planning between public work directors and utility coordinators serving King County. This year’s campaign is a partnership between King County, the city of Seattle, Washington State Department of Transportation, and Puget Sound Energy.

There is a wide range of storm response activities being coordinated, including:

- Puget Sound Energy has developed Utility Road Clearing task forces to establish direct communication between line crews and field personnel from other agencies to speed clean up and repair efforts – particularly when downed trees interfere with efforts to restore power. This will help reduce the amount of time that storm-stressed roads are closed.      

Ron Sims
Executive Ron Sims was joined by representatives from the city, state and Puget Sound Energy to kick off the "Take Winter By Storm" campaign.

- King County Metro Transit has been working with the county Road Services Division, the state, and local cities to match up snow plowing priority routes with bus routes. So far, 27 cities have joined Metro to either map priority snow routes or tighten the linkages with transit routes.
      
- Another new partnership teams up Metro and the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to provide more towing service for buses that do become stuck. The agencies have a new agreement that allows WSDOT Incident Response Teams to push Metro buses to the nearest freeway exit to clear blocked lanes and ramps.
      
- More strategic use of variable messaging signs on King County roads to alert motorists to closures ahead, such as those caused by flooding or downed trees. The portable signs will be placed in locations where motorists have a chance to turn around or detour before they get to the closure;
       
- Chained bus shuttles to serve the Issaquah Highlands Park-and-Ride when the steep roads connecting the park-and-ride to Interstate 90 become slick and snowy. The 40-foot chained buses will transport Metro and Sound Transit bus passengers between the Highlands garage and the Issaquah Park-and-Ride;
      
- More information on Metro Online about bus reroutes due to snow and ice, including area of reroute and if chained shuttles are in use;
      
- From November through February, the Road Services Division will continue last year’s practice of putting two crews on overnight patrol throughout the unincorporated areas to respond to flooding, ice, and other hazards that could disrupt morning travel;
      
- Staging additional de-icer equipment at four of the Roads Division’s maintenance yards to cover more territory more quickly; and
      
- The Road Services Division also bought 50 new chainsaws that emit fewer pollutants than older equipment. The new saws are lighter, have more horsepower, and are more fuel-efficient.

Water Taxi season wraps up tenth year

The Elliott Bay Water Taxi closes out its tenth sailing season this week, with 2007 service wrapping up on Friday, Nov. 2.

This year’s extended run started April 29, and was originally supposed to end in September. Due to strong ridership and higher than expected revenues, King County Metro Transit lengthened the season for the Water Taxi through the month of October. The extended service was offered on weekdays only.

The free West Seattle bus shuttle, Route 773, will also end its season on Friday evening.

Metro marks end of Daylight Saving time

Pacific Standard Time (PST) officially starts at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 4, and Metro Transit bus riders should keep that in mind when taking early trips.

On Saturday night, Nov. 3, 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.


What do you think about RapidRide?

Metro Transit is hosting three open house meetings to solicit community ideas as the agency plans for new RapidRide bus service on Pacific Highway South.

The new streamlined bus service is scheduled to begin in February 2010, and is funded by the Transit Now initiative approved by voters in 2006. This RapidRide line would operate on Pacific Highway South/International Boulevard between South 154th Street in Tukwila and South 316th Street in Federal Way. It is one of five planned RapidRide lines in King County.

The upcoming open houses for the Pacific Highway South service will be held:

  • Wednesday, Nov. 7 from 1-4 p.m. in the Student Union at Highline Community College, 2400 S. 240th St., Des Moines;
  • Wednesday, Nov. 7 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the council chambers at SeaTac City Hall, 4800 188th St., SeaTac; and
  • Tuesday, Nov. 13 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the council chambers at Federal Way City Hall, 33325 8th Ave. S., Federal Way.

Get more information on Metro Online.

 

Roads Division hosts Novelty Hill Road meeting

The King County Road Services Division will host a drop-in open house meeting to discuss plans and designs to improve Novelty Hill Road and connecting streets east of Redmond.

The meeting will be held Thursday, Nov. 8 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Bear Creek School gymnasium, 8905 208th Ave. NE, Redmond.

There will be information available at the open house about the Road Division’s preferred alternative for the project, which includes: widening Novelty Hill Road from Trilogy Parkway to 196th Avenue Northeast; rebuilding a section of 196th Avenue Northeast, and extending it to Novelty Hill Road; and widening a section of Northeast Union Hill Road.

County holds hearings on speed limit changes

The King County Road Services Division will hold a public hearing Tuesday, Nov. 13 at 6:30 p.m. in Maple Valley to gather public comment on a proposal to raise the speed limit from 25 to 30 miles per hour on a 1.25-mile stretch of 244th Avenue Southeast near Lake Francis. The meeting will be held at Taylor Creek Church, 21110 244th Ave. SE, Maple Valley.

On Thursday, Nov. 29, the Division will host a similar meeting on the Sammamish Plateau to collect comments on raising the speed limit from 25 to 30 on Southeast Klahanie Boulevard and Klahanie Drive Southeast between Issaquah-Pine Lake Road and Issaquah-Fall City Road. That meeting will be held at Challenger Elementary School, 25200 SE Klahanie Boulevard, Issaquah.

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