Press Release:

The National Weather Service says the snowfall may not be over in King County, with up to an inch predicted on Thursday morning.

So, Metro Transit will continue to have buses on snow routes on Thanksgiving and reminds bus riders that it will operate with a Sunday schedule for the holiday. As snow and ice melt and roadways return to normal, Metro will begin to ease back into regular operations.

The long holiday weekend includes already-scheduled changes for Metro service:

Thursday, Nov. 25, Metro Transit buses operate on Sunday schedule.
Friday, Nov. 26 there is a reduced weekday schedule which features more service than weekends but less than a regular weekday. This is done during holiday periods when Metro traditionally sees 20-40 percent lower ridership.

There are many holiday events in Seattle this weekend that will cause temporary reroutes and delays for bus service including the Ballard Turkey Trot on Thursday, the downtown Macy’s Holiday Parade on Friday morning, the Friday evening Westlake Tree Lighting ceremony, and the Seattle Marathon on Sunday and related events on Saturday.

Many of the major arterials in the county were cleared by Wednesday, but buses were still encountering slick conditions on side roads and neighborhood roads. Temperatures continue to be bitterly cold, so it is expected the snow melt will turn to ice overnight until it warms up.

Riders should check the color-coded map on www.kingcounty.gov/metro/snow for the most current status of Metro service before traveling. Metro’s Customer Information Center at (206) 553-3000 will be open until 10 p.m. Wednesday evening, and then reopen 8 a.m. Saturday after the holiday.

Remember, when buses are on snow routing, some streets and bus stops may be missed and there are often delays due to travel conditions. There is new snow routing in many areas that is different from past years, so be sure to check the snow routes for all the routes you use most often.

Check the timetables at www.kingcounty.gov/metro for snow route maps for each route. Not every bus route has snow routing, but most do.

“Everyone at Metro would really like to thank our customers for their patience and understanding this week as we all dealt with the first snow of the season,” said Metro General Manager Kevin Desmond. “We’ve learned a lot this week that will help us refine our snow plans as we move into what promises to be a challenging winter.”