Dec. 18, 2008
King County managing snow impacts
Drivers encouraged to limit travel and be prepared for longer travel times
King County motorists are being urged to limit non-essential travel as much as possible as county crews work to sand major roadways in unincorporated areas, while Metro Transit reports severely impacted transit service countywide and in surrounding areas today.
Currently, snow continues to fall in many areas of the county, and road conditions are not improving. Metro is encountering significant disruptions and is significantly delayed everywhere by both the weather and traffic conditions. Metro will be focusing on core service until weather and road conditions improve, which means almost all bus service will be significantly limited heading into the afternoon commute. Those who do need to travel by bus should expect significant delays.
The morning’s snow fell on icy roadways in many hills and side streets in outlying areas of Seattle and King County. In response, King County’s Road Services Division has about 50 pieces of snow removal equipment working the region, 25 tons of salt and about 8,000 cubic yards of sand to battle the snow and ice.
Public Health Seattle-King County medical clinics are operating but services are limited due to staffing challenges. Morning appointments at Eastgate Public Health Center have been cancelled and residents should call ahead to other clinics to determine service availability through the day. Numbers and updates are available online.
The Duty Officer for King County Emergency Management is actively monitoring and coordinating with county departments and our regional partners to address any impacts and support needs related to the cold weather and snow.
Additional cold weather tips are posted online and road and transit updates will be sent out and posted through the afternoon as conditions warrant.