County preps for winter with new snow plans,
more tools for Metro & Road Services

Metro has new ways to communicate

One of the biggest challenges Metro faced last year was keeping riders informed of service disruptions. The ability to provide real-time bus information won’t be available this winter, but Metro is introducing some new tools designed to speed the flow of customer information.

This season, customers will be able use the Internet to quickly see which buses in the Metro system are on snow route based on “geographic area.” Just as congestion is measured by color on congestion flow maps, the use of green, yellow or red on Metro’s new online snow map will give riders a snapshot of bus operations in each of seven geographic areas of the county. Green will indicate buses are operating on normal routes, yellow will signify minor reroutes (primarily in higher elevation areas), and red will alert customers that buses in the entire geographic area are on snow route or are being significantly impacted by snow.

If a major snowstorm spanning several days strikes, Metro will activate a newly designed Emergency Service Network with 70 pre-identified “priority” snow routes. Metro will make every attempt to keep service operating on these routes as long as transportation service providers are able to keep roads passable.

Also new this season is an improved Metro Online website with better design and easier navigation to keep riders connected to transit information. Customers are also being encouraged to sign up online for enhanced Metro Transit Alerts that deliver email or text messages about widespread service disruptions or weather events impacting their individual bus route.
 
Metro is also producing a booklet highlighting snow route maps and details about its new Emergency Service Network. The booklet will be available on buses and at Metro kiosks in early December.

In addition to the technology and operational changes, Metro is experimenting with a new type of mud and snow tire on 65 of its standard 40-foot coaches.

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Follow evacuation signs to safety if the Green River floods

King County and other government service providers in the valley have been working together for several months to identify the least flood-prone routes providing the quickest routes to higher ground. The coordinated effort will also ensure that there is a common understanding among agencies of roads considered priorities before and after the flood.

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County’s annual bridge report continues to
highlight need for replacing South Park span

In recent years, the RSD has corrected many of the worst safety and operational deficiencies on bridges in the county’s roadway system. Over the past decade, 21 of the highest priority bridge replacement and rehabilitation projects have been completed. This includes the replacement of the Tolt Bridge and Mt. Si Bridge – complex projects that were both completed in 2008.

The South Park Bridge, a 78-year-old drawbridge, is located on 14th/16 Avenue South, and borders the cities of Seattle and Tukwila along with neighborhoods in unincorporated King County. It carries 20,000 vehicles a day, and serves the largest manufacturing/industrial centers in the Northwest, an international seaport, and an aviation hub.

The bridge suffers from widespread steel corrosion on the main spans, crumbling and settling concrete piers, and an outdated electrical control system. The bridge has become increasingly difficult to maintain and repair, resulting in frequent bridge closures that disrupt both vehicle and marine traffic.

King County has submitted an application for $99 million in federal funding toward the $153 million replacement cost of the bridge. The grant announcement won’t be made until early next year. If construction funds to replace the South Park Bridge cannot be secured, the bridge will be closed in 2010 due to its extreme deterioration.

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Road Division wraps up construction season

It’s October, the rainy season will soon arrive, and the King County Road Services Division is buttoning up another construction season.

Over the past several years, dwindling revenues have forced the division to focus most of its summer work on preserving existing roads and bridges and keeping them safe for travel. And that was accomplished over the past six months by the division.

“With our limited funds we are focused on safety, preservation and maintenance,” said Division Director Linda Dougherty. “This summer, we completed significant work on guardrail installation, repaving roads in unincorporated areas, and replacing three short span bridges. We would have liked to do more, but I think we got as much bang for our buck this summer as we possibly could."

As usual, the division started out the construction season cleaning up damage caused by last winter’s weather. It completed approximately $10 million in storm-related work that included repairs of washout and slide damage, plus work to restripe lane markers, clean up debris, and fix potholes.

In March, the division kicked off the biggest project of the year – replacement of the Bandaret Bridge on May Valley Road. That $6.9 million project is on schedule to be completed in November. When it opens, there will be two 12-foot driving lanes and eight-foot shoulders.

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Photo of the week The route 101 passes by some fall foliage. RoadWatch News from KCDOT's Road Services Division Old Cascade Highway – Crews are making repairs this week on the Miller River Bridge on Old Cascade Highway near Skykomish. The road will be closed over the bridge from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Nov. 16 and 17. Motorists can detour via State Route 2. Lake Holm Road – Southeast Lake Holm Road will be closed between Southeast Auburn-Black Diamond Road and 129th Way Southeast from 7 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17 through 3:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20. Motorists can detour via Auburn-Black Diamond Road to 148th/147th Avenue Southeast. Jones Road – A small section of Southeast Jones Road in the 17800 block – between Renton and Maple Valley – will be closed from 7 a.m. Monday, Nov. 16 through 3:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20 while crews stabilize a slope that supports the roadway. Motorists can detour via State Route 169. Mink Road – The King County Road Services Division is working on the intersection of Woodinville-Duvall Road and Mink Road. The county is installing new turn lanes and traffic signals, widening shoulders, and improving drainage. The project should be completed by February. While no full road closures are expected during construction, motorists may experience periodic lane closures or traffic disruptions between the hours of 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. View updated King County road closures and conditions online. Check out your commute . . . Motorists can log onto the King County Road Services Division's My Commute Web site and view video images of traffic conditions in unincorporated areas. MyCommute traffic cameras		In other news... REMINDER: Reduced schedule for buses on Wednesday Three-day closure coming up for Lake Holm Road Metro reminds bus riders of reduced service on upcoming weekdays Seahawks host Lions on Sunday Ballard transportation history wows crowd Huskies & Seahawks home this weekend Metro launches ‘In Motion’ for southeast Seattle Airport firefighters gain new status Seattle area in top tier of national ‘green’ commute list TRANSIT ALERT: 4th Avenue project could disrupt buses Mariners’ final home stand tops this week’s special events Crabtree honored as airport volunteer of the year      Cyc-ology 101: The Major Taylor Project  Watch the video Check out the rest of our current videos on YouTube.
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