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King County Metro will continue to operate the Emergency Snow Network (ESN) Saturday, Jan. 1, due to ongoing freezing temperatures and difficult road conditions in parts of King County. Service remains focused on about 60 core bus routes and shuttles to serve riders equitably and operate on roads prioritized for snow and ice removal. These bus routes will operate on a Saturday schedule.
Riders who intend to use Metro’s services should visit the Emergency Snow Network webpage to view details about routes in operation and to identify their options. Please note that most routes in the ESN are operating on their snow routing and masks are required on all public transportation. King County Metro and several regional transit agencies are operating fare-free on New Year’s Eve, from 4 a.m. Friday, Dec. 31, to 4 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 1.
The National Weather Service continues to forecast winter weather, though it is trending toward milder temperatures and less snow accumulations across the greater Puget Sound area. Customers should be prepared for possible travel disruptions and are encouraged to monitor weather reports.
During this period of adverse weather, we encourage people to avoid traveling if possible. Metro reassesses daily whether snow clearing efforts have adequately improved road conditions and also if there is sufficient staffing and buses to restore service and operate the broader all-day transit network.
Translated links to MetroWinter.com
አማርኛ (Amharic) | 中文 (Chinese) | ភាសាខ្មែរ (Khmer) | 한국어 (Korean) |
ਪੰਜਾਬੀ (Punjabi) | Русский (Russian) | af Soomaali (Somali) | Español (Spanish) |
Українська (Ukrainian) | Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
Water taxi, Access and on-demand services
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Water taxi: the West Seattle and Vashon routes will not sail on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1. Water Taxi Shuttle routes 773 and 775 will also be cancelled.
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Access paratransit currently provides only lifesaving and emergency trips depending on conditions and availability. During this time, customers who are not certified to use Access that need to connect to life-sustaining medical services can call 206-205-5000 to request services between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Access is working closely with bus service to meet the needs of all of our customers.
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On-demand services: Via to Transit in south Seattle and south King County, Ride Pingo to Transit in Kent, and Community Ride in Sammamish and the Juanita area are temporarily not operating due to road conditions.
Customer Service updates
- The Customer Service phone lines at 206-553-3000 will open with limited staffing from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 31, for assistance with trip planning and ORCA cards. All comments should be submitted through the online forms.
- Metro’s Pass Sales Office and Lost & Found offices are closed Friday, Dec. 31, in observance of the holiday.
- Options to Pay for your transit trips include:
- Apply for ORCA LIFT, Subsidized Annual Pass, Senior and Disabled Regional Reduced Fare Permit (RRFP), and ORCA Youth cards online with Metro’s Reduced Fare Portal: reducedfare.kingcounty.gov.
- Call Public Health to enroll in ORCA LIFT and Subsidized Annual Pass or renew your card: (800) 756-5437.
- To load value to your ORCA card, call Customer Service (206-553-3000) or visit orcacard.com. Funds will be available 24-48 hours after your purchase.
- To add funds immediately, visit an ORCA Retail Outlet close to home or at a Ticket Vending Machine located at Link Light Rail stations and several regional transit centers.
- Purchase a mobile ticket through the Transit GO ticket app to use it right away.
- Use cash. Please have the exact fare ready; drivers do not carry change. If you are transferring, ask the driver for a paper transfer at the time you pay.
Tips for riders
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Visit MetroWinter.com and click on the regional map to access status updates on your route.
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Transit Alerts: Riders should sign up or update route subscriptions to receive Transit Alerts via text and email for their bus routes. Routes can change quickly depending on snow accumulations.
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Real-time updates show whether a bus trip is operating when it’s due to depart or if it’s been canceled.
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Text for Departures allows riders to text their bus stop number to 62550 to receive updates on the next buses to arrive at the stop along with cancelation notices. Riders can save 62550 in their phones in advance. Metro’s real-time departure information can become less accurate during a storm and rough road conditions.
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“Next departures” is available on both the Puget Sound Trip Planner webpage and the Puget Sound Trip Planner App. Riders can check these sites to see whether their trip is reporting its position and estimated arrival time.
- Follow @kcmetrobus on Twitter to see the latest travel tips and service information.
- Riders who intend to use Metro’s services Saturday, Jan. 1 should visit the Emergency Snow Network webpage to view details about routes in operation and to identify their options.
- Posted timetables on Metro’s Schedules and Maps page are a good point of reference for the 60 ESN routes operating, but unforeseen road and weather conditions may result in delays or unplanned reroutes.
- Customers should be aware that Puget Sound Trip Planner and third-party apps will not reflect ESN service and will not be accurate for planning itineraries on ESN days. However, once riders know which ESN route they want to use, other Puget Sound Trip Planner features, such as maps, bus stop locations, and timetables for ESN routes, are valid. Puget Sound Trip Planner and other apps are still accurate for planning trips or getting schedules for regular service days.
- Traveling around Puget Sound? Our partner transit agencies have details about service during snow in their areas
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