Transit Alert – Metro is continuing to restore service wherever possible, with some snow reroutes still operating and delays likely

Metro is continuing to restore service wherever possible, with some snow reroutes still
operating and delays likely, as recovery efforts move into Thursday.

Routes that will not operate on Thursday
On Thursday, the following six routes will not operate: 37, 78, 237, 243, 244 and 330.

These routes are in areas that are served by other routes.

Thursday operation
At the start of service on Thursday morning, Metro will continue to operate regular
routes, with the exception of the ones listed above.

Some routes may still be on their designated snow reroutes and others may have
service reductions in the form of individual trip cancelations.

Metro’s online ‘Snow & Ice’ table has detailed information about snow reroutes.

Transit customers can find out if their trip is canceled or delayed by entering their stop
ID in the Metro Trip Planner Next Departures, or by texting it to 62550 in the Text for
Departures tool.

As conditions improve, regular service will continue to be restored on a route by route
basis.

Snow areas & pre-planned snow reroutes
Metro snow areas
Because many Metro routes travel through multiple King County geographic areas
where conditions may vary, for the purposes of displaying snow reroute information,
Metro has divided its King County service area into seven regions, or snow areas,
which are then color-coded in our online map to denote general conditions in each of
those areas.

These areas are shown on a map on Metro’s Snow & Ice page, with a legend.

Pre-planned snow reroutes
Planned snow reroutes are shown in the maps of online and paper timetables.

Not all routes have pre-planned snow reroutes in all areas, however any route
can have one or more pre-planned snow reroute(s) in more than one area.

Getting information about planned snow reroutes
Associated with the snow area map, there is an interactive table on the Snow & Ice
page that lists all Metro routes by snow area or by route number. 

Each table entry represents only one reroute; it is possible for there to be multiple
entries for one route; each is further broken down by snow area, then reroute area.

It is possible for a table entry to say there is no reroute, but that entry will be only for the
designated snow area.  When using the table, check the entry(ies) for the correct snow
area.

Following the hyperlink from the table opens a pdf with all the details about that reroute,
including caveats about the operating status in general, a street by street description of
the reroute in text, the bus stops both missed and served along the reroute, and links
back to the online timetable for anyone who wants to look at the map.

Maps of planned snow routes are shown in each routes online or paper timetable.

Riding Metro on Thursday
Information
Use Metro’s online regional trip planner to plan your route, then check for reroutes.
Trip cancelations and predicted departure times at stops are available in the Next
Departures trip planner feature, or in the Text for Departures tool.

Use regularly published schedules as a guide, then expect delays. 

Plan ahead
Be aware of Metro’s snow operation, be prepared and anticipate delays and slick
streets and sidewalks remaining in some areas.

Transit customers, check the Metro Winter page for information about planned service
and reroutes for the routes they ride. Starting at 4:30 AM, the table will be updated as
revisions occur.

Riding transit in adverse conditions
In areas where streets are slick, transit customers are advised to wait for buses on their
designated routes at posted bus stops on flat portions of cleared arterials or at major
transfer points, such as park-and-ride lots and transit centers.

It is not possible to know when a bus will arrive at a specific location.

It is possible for buses to temporarily go on unplanned reroutes if streets they normally
travel on are unexpectedly blocked.

Temporary reroutes are not reflected in the Snow & Ice or in Metro’s trip planner.

When possible, a Transit Alert will be sent about an unexpected reroute, however we
may not know about all of them.

Know before you go
What to expect
During bad weather and when road conditions are treacherous, be prepared for the
existing conditions, longer than usual waits at bus stops and more crowded buses. 

There may also be longer waits on hold if you call Metro’s Customer Information line at
206-553-3000. When the Customer Information line is open, Metro staff can help you
with reroutes and other transit information, but cannot tell you when your bus will be at a
specific stop.

Safety first
While Metro utilizes all available resources to operate service as normally as possible
during adverse weather or other conditions, the safety of everyone is always our highest
priority. Service may be reduced, buses may be delayed or rerouted, and Metro staff
cannot predict affected locations or tell riders exactly when a bus will get to a specific
bus stop.

Additional information
Visit Metro’s website for complete transit information.

If buses are operating along their normal routes, but delayed, it may be possible to get
more specific information by visiting Metro’s Puget Sound Trip Planner and checking the
‘Next Departures & Stops’ or ‘Tracker’ features.  Real time information may be less
reliable in adverse or unexpected conditions. Metro’s real time features provide the
scheduled times of service at stops, then the predicted time if they are able to do so, as
well as known trip cancelations. During adverse conditions, it is best to use the
scheduled times, then expect delays.

Visit Metro’s Service Advisories page for complete information about revised bus
service, routing and stops for planned events.

Visit Metro’s online or mobile Puget Sound Trip Planner to plan your travel using
regularly scheduled service, and for bus stop, schedule and other information. Snow
reroutes and other service disruptions are not reflected in results derived in the trip
planner feature. When planning your trip, also check for service revisions that might
affect it.  

Visit the King County Water Taxi site for information about Water Taxi operation.

Visit the Community Transit, Pierce Transit, Sound Transit or Washington State
Ferries websites for information about services provided by Metro’s regional transit
partners.

For non-transit traffic or other local updates, check media sources,
follow @seattledot or visit
- https://twitter.com/seattledot
- https://twitter.com/SeattlePD

Everyone's preparedness and patience during snow or other adverse conditions is
appreciated.

Travel safely.