King County Metro bus service greatly reduced amid snow and ice
Feb 11, 2019, 12:29 PM
A bus covered in snow in Seattle. (Ursula Reutin, KIRO Radio)
(Ursula Reutin, KIRO Radio)
It’s going to be a lot harder to catch a bus in King County over the next few days. Lingering snow and ice has forced reductions in King County Metro bus services.
“This is going to have to stretch into Monday and Tuesday due to the ongoing and persistent dangerous roadway conditions we are facing,” said King County Metro’s Jeff Switzer. “And we are seeing a forecast for ongoing freezing temperatures and two more snow storms.”
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Upcoming weather conditions are forcing those reductions to extend into the coming work week. Areas from Seattle to the south are expected to get a warm front Monday evening which will bring rain or a rain/snow mix. That could further present issues on the road as water freezes. Areas north of Seattle will likely continue to get snow — as much as four inches over the evening.
“King County Metro had to reduce its service network to just a core list of 60 routes,” Switzer said. “And those are our high-ridership routes. They tend to avoid some of the bigger hills in the area, and they try to serve a core of what King County Metro is able to provide.”
He’s encouraging anyone who has to travel in King County to utilize their website for the latest updates. Switzer also suggests people try to work from home if possible.
“With so much snow in the forecast it’s really important that people make a travel plan that works for them,” Switzer said. “If they can avoid travel, great. But we know that during the work week, people are trying to get to their jobs if they have to.”
“If people can telecommute and flex their schedules, that’s a great opportunity,” he said. “And what that also does is it frees up space on the few buses that we can provide and make sure the people who do need to travel have some of that space.”
Depending on how Monday and Tuesday’s snow falls, Switzer said these reductions could go further into the week.
MyNorthwest contributed to this article.
