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Week of Feb. 4, 2008
Lending a helping snowplow Watch the video
Crews attack snow piles beside the road. | With record snowfall this winter in the Cascade Mountains and foothills, it’s been a struggle for transportation crews to keep up. Yet despite dealing with a heavy workload of its own, the King County Road Services Division reached out a helping hand – and a few snowplows – to the city of Skykomish last week.Many people might not realize that the small community on U.S. Highway 2 on the way to Stevens Pass is actually in the far northeast tip of King County. Separated from its suburban and urban city cousins by vast acres of public forestland, the tiny town of about 200 residents is used to being self-sufficient. But, the locals also know when to ask for help. Last week, they asked for some major snow removal assistance. The problem was not just keeping roads plowed, but also moving growing mounds of snow away from roadsides. “The snowfall has been huge and almost a daily occurrence since the winter storms began in November,” said King County Road Services Director Linda Dougherty. “There has been a major snow accumulation daily on roadways, and then the constant plowing has deposited very high piles of snow along the roadways. Those roadside piles were so built up that they had to be excavated with a loader and hauled away by dump truck to a nearby location.“ Dougherty said the county crews were having a serious problem keeping the unincorporated roadways clear. Yet, when the city began having the same troubles, she had no hesitation in offering help. King County Executive Ron Sims also reached out by issuing an emergency proclamation to enable county departments to respond even more quickly to the ongoing heavy snowfall in higher elevations of the county. The proclamation allowed departments to waive normal contracting procedures and budgetary limits to speed up assistance.
Bob Pugh is the supervisor for King County’s Skykomish maintenance yard. He and most of his four-person crew live in the community, so it made the most sense to have them assist the city in addition to plowing surrounding roads maintained by the county. But snow was still falling, and someone had to keep the county roads clear. That’s where Tod Reeve and his crew from the county’s maintenance yard in Renton rode to the rescue with an additional six trucks and two loaders.When they started the work on Thursday, Jan. 31, snow had been falling steadily for four days. The snow moving work took them three full days, and by then the white stuff had begun to taper off. But with more heavy snow in the forecast, crews are ready to team up again if necessary. “Our staff put together a rapid and well thought out strategy,” said Dougherty. “I really appreciate their work in the tough, and unrelenting battle against the record snowfall. It was an extraordinary effort to keep the roads in the Skykomish area safe and passable for the citizens we serve, and I know the city is very grateful for the assistance being provided to them.” Some of the road crews working in the Skykomish area say they’ve seen more snow this winter than any other winter they’ve experienced in the high country. Even though historically some of the biggest snowstorms in the area have come in March, they’re not willing to make any long-term forecasts. “They say the only people up here that predict the weather is a tourist or a fool,” said Pugh with a laugh.
Time to check out new bus timetables Bus riders can pick up new blue timetables this week for information on changes in King County Metro Transit service that begin Saturday, Feb. 9. Metro updates its routes and scheduling three times a year to improve service and keep up with the changing needs of bus riders. Metro customers can find all of the February changes detailed in the Special Rider Alert brochure now available on buses and in Metro information racks. New blue timetables are also at those locations, and information is available in the online Trip Planner. Enter a travel date for Feb. 9 or later to find trips that reflect Metro's changed service. The complete schedules for each route will be posted online on Friday, Feb. 8. Sometimes people need more than bus service. That’s where Rideshare Services can help by providing resources for carpooling, vanpooling or vansharing. Carpooling and vanpooling match people traveling to common destinations. VanShare helps those who need to make a connection to or from bus service. You can VanShare from home and connect to your bus, or use VanShare from the bus stop or park-and-ride lot to complete a trip to work. For information about all the services Metro provides, visit Metro Online, or call Metro Rider Information at (206) 553-3000. |
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County auction set for Feb. 13 The next King County Spot Bid auction will take place Wednesday, Feb. 13 and features approximately 50 lots of surplus office equipment, furniture, file cabinets, and computers. The auction is managed by the Fleet Administration Division and includes both King County surplus and items from other government agencies. The auction will take place at Fleet’s warehouse at 707 S. Orcas St., Seattle. For information, photos and driving directions, visit the auction website. | Subscribe to DOT DashSign-up to receive an e-mail text version of "Transportation Today," along with other significant DOT news by sending an e-mail to us with subscribe King County DOT Dash in the subject line.
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