Dec. 23, 2008
King County road and transit services and public health outreach helping residents weather 11th day of snow and ice
Safe travel, health and welfare top priorities over Christmas week
King County residents appear to be traveling safely and staying safe at home as the region faces its 11th day of snow and ice-covered roads.
While county Roads crews and Metro Transit continued extended shifts to keep roadways clear and buses running, a number of King County government offices affected by the weather conditions announced late openings, early closures and in some cases, instructed staff to stay home. Updated closures are posted.
King County Roads: Crews from the Maintenance Section of the King County Roads Services Division are still working around-the-clock shifts to respond to road emergencies, and are doing everything they can to keep the roads safe for King County motorists and transit riders. Employees staffing the 24/7 Roads Hotline are currently receiving between 20 and 40 calls per hour – compared to a typical day where they receive 30 service requests.
Crews from the four maintenance divisions began working 12-hour shifts on Dec. 13, and by the next day all of the Special Operations staff had been called in to help. If snow and ice conditions persist through Christmas Day, crews will be continuing their work on the roadways through the holiday.
By Monday of this week, the crews had plowed more than 10,000 lane miles of road and sanded 12,500 lane miles. They continue to focus on the main arterial roadways in unincorporated areas, many of which have been plowed multiple times due to snow and wind. Crews prepared well for this first major snowstorm. Prior to the start of the winter storm season, anti-icing supplies were more widely distributed among Roads Maintenance stockpile sites to ensure faster response time and more efficient operations. This year the division has also doubled its supply of anti-icing equipment which will help crews continue to provide service as the next storm rolls in.
King County Transit: Due to still-icy streets in many areas and the possibility of more snow overnight, King County Metro Transit will be operating approximately half of its regular weekday service on Wednesday, Dec. 24. Reduced service is expected to continue through at least the end of the week, since Metro had already planned to operate a Sunday schedule on Christmas Day and a “partial holiday” schedule on Friday, Dec. 26. Schedules for those two days may be adjusted, if the weather and driving conditions don’t improve.
Transit has taken a cautious approach since the snow arrived to providing the safest bus service possible by focusing on serving cleared highways and arterial roads, and major transit centers and park-and-ride lots. Although service has been less than the agency would like to provide, this has helped to limit injuries and vehicle damage, and kept the agency from having to shut down all routes.
In addition to the intrepid bus drivers, Metro’s Vehicle Maintenance, Service Communications, Service Quality, Customer Information, and Power and Facilities staff have been working continual 10 and 12-hour shifts to support operations.
Public Health - Seattle & King County has been the lead agency for health and medical response during this storm. There have been reports of some homebound residents being unable to get food or medications for themselves due to the icy roads and sidewalks and limited transit. So residents are asked to check in on elderly or frail neighbors or anyone with mobility issues to make sure that they have the food and supplies they need to sustain themselves until the weather breaks.
Before last weekend’s storm, Public Health made it a requirement for health care providers to report instances of carbon monoxide poisoning and staffers have worked to prevent storm-related injuries and death by conducting intensive community outreach to educate the general public and vulnerable populations on carbon monoxide dangers. So far, there have been no reported carbon monoxide related deaths in King County since the storm began. Carbon monoxide poisoning fact sheets in numerous languages are available online.
Throughout the weekend and continuing into the week, Public Health continues to monitor weather-related impacts to the health care system and threats to health and human safety. They have also provided support to the community’s health and medical operations so that people’s critical health needs continue to be met.
Other Public Health operations, such has Jail Health Services, King County Medic One and the King County Medical Examiner’s Office, operated continuously during the storm, maintaining their 24 hour a day functions with a dedicated staff reporting to work in the worst conditions.
Solid Waste: The Houghton Transfer Station in Kirkland, Factoria Transfer Station in Bellevue, and Cedar Falls Drop Box in North Bend remain closed due to potential hazards and access issues related to heavy snow. Weather permitting, all other solid waste collection facilities will remain open on standard schedules Tuesday and Wednesday, Dec. 24. All King County solid waste facilities will close on Christmas Day and, weather permitting, will resume regular operating hours on Saturday, Dec. 26. Before heading out on the road, please check the Solid Waste Division transfer station Web site at for updated information on hours and closures.
Parks: The King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way and Evergreen Pool in North Highline are closed until Monday, Dec. 29. The teen center at Steve Cox Memorial Park in White Center is closed until Jan. 6. Generally, King County parks remain open to public use, but visitors should know that parking is very limited or unavailable due to heavy snow.
Wastewater Treatment Division: main offices will be closed on Christmas. Critical facilities will be staffed as appropriate, and employees will be on call and on standby to respond to any emergencies. The main offices will be open during normal business hours on Friday, December 26. Currently, there are no weather-related closures or schedule changes for December 24.
King County Animal Care and Control: officers’ response availability for animal-related calls out in the field is still limited by weather and road conditions. Residents should only call the Animal Care and Control Call Center (206-296-PETS) if they have a priority call: ones defined as a person or animal being attacked or severely bitten by an animal, an injured animal, or calls about animals being left outside exposed to the elements and without protection, fresh water and food.
The most up to date information about King County Closures can be found at www.kingcounty.gov. The Employee Information Hotline will also be updated for King County Employees to check the status of their work place as closure information is updated, (206) 205-8600. Winter alerts for King County are posted online and updates will be posted overnight as conditions warrant.