Metro Transit Staying on Snow Routing into Monday

Editor's Note: The following is a press release issued by King County Department of Transportation.

Weather forecasters are predicting continued cold and snowy weather for the Monday holiday and the work week. King County Metro Transit is remaining on snow routingcountywide overnight and into Monday. And, it advises bus riders to be aware it will operate with a reduced weekday schedule as planned for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday on Monday, Jan. 16.

On days with reduced weekday schedules, Metro does not operate some commuter and school-oriented routes, and other routes have individual trips canceled.

In addition to the holiday schedule, Metro buses will be on snow routing again Monday morning. So, bus riders should make sure both that their bus operates on holidays and know the snow routing for the buses they will be using Monday.

Even though weather and road conditions in the morning may not be bad in your area, delays and service disruptions can occur in other parts of the county that affects bus service in your area. Buses will also be chained, which means they have to travel at slower speeds.

Before traveling, riders should check http://www.kingcounty.gov/metro/snow for the most current status of Metro service. Updates to the online information begin as early as 4 a.m. and continue as needed until travel conditions improve. Also, it is important to sign up for Transit Alerts so you can be alerted when bus service status changes.

Here are some tips for bus travel this week:

• Know the snow routing for your bus route. Check the timetables on Metro Online for snow route maps for each route. Not every bus route has snow routing, but most do; 

• When buses are on snow routing, some streets and bus stops may be missed and there are often delays due to travel conditions. Be sure to check the snow routes for all the routes you use most often; 

• If you haven’t already, please sign up for Transit Alerts to keep up with any major changes to bus service. The alerts can be received as email or text messages. Go towww.kingcounty.gov/metro/snow to subscribe; 

• Metro uses an online color-coded map to keep riders informed of the status of its bus service, which can be found online at: www.kingcounty.gov/metro/snow. All bus routes are assigned into one or more of seven geographic areas within King County. When there is snow or ice on the roads, the service status of each area will be color coded and displayed on the online map. Green indicates buses are operating on normal routes; yellow that some – but not all – routes in the area are on snow routes (primarily in higher elevation areas); and red tells you that all bus routes in the entire geographic area are on snow routing; 

• People without online access can call the Customer Information Office at (206) 553-3000. General information about service will also be sent out via the kcmetrobus Twitter account; 

• Be patient. Buses are not always on schedule in snowy or icy conditions. 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; 

• Dress warmly for the walk to the bus stop, expect delays, and wear appropriate footwear for the weather; 

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

• 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.

 Also on Monday, Jan. 16, a rally is scheduled to be held in Seattle to commemorate Martin Luther King, Jr. Participants in the rally will march along portions of 23rd Avenue, Union Street, Madison Street, and Second Avenue. Watch for reroutes and possible delays for Metro routes 2, 12, 16, 60 and 66. Other bus routes could be delayed depending on traffic conditions in these areas. Details on the reroutes can be foundonline. 

A complete list of routes that are canceled or have trip cancellations on holidays can be found on Metro Online.

The King County Water Taxi will not operate either the Vashon or the West Seattle routes on Jan. 16.  The free West Seattle Taxi Shuttles - Routes 773 and 775 - will not operate either.

Visit Metro Online for more information, or call the Customer Information Office at (206) 553-3000. It will be open on the Monday holiday with limited staffing from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.

For information about King County Water Taxi service - and shuttle routes 773 and 775, please visit the Water Taxi website.