In Transit November/December 2010 A Newsletter for King County Metro Transit Employees From the desk of the General Manager Preparation paid off After nearly two years of hard work, we We learned got the opportunity to test our new snow from our plan in the days before Thanksgiving. experiences with snow and We learned some hard lessons about ice in the winter extreme winter weather two years ago. of 2008-2009. Those experiences led us to create and improve our plan for responding to a major snow event, including how we communicate with our customers. We’ve been hearing that this year’s strong La Niña weather pattern would mean Getting ready for snow a colder, wetter winter in the Pacific orecasters have predicted a cold, wet winter for the Pacific Northwest, and Northwest. Over the past six months we put a major focus on getting ready for Fwe’ve already seen snow and below-freezing temperatures in King County. the possibility of a rough winter. I’d like to Fortunately, we’ve been working hard to make sure we are ready—both to keep thank every one of you who contributed providing service and to keep our customers informed. to these efforts. For more information about our preparations, see the main We updated the snow operations and customer communications plan we story on this page. developed in 2009. The plan defines snow routing for each bus route as well as a system for determining whether a route is following its regular or snow route. On Monday, Nov. 22, a winter storm The plan also identifies an emergency service network of core service that Metro, rolled in, dumping snow on our streets in partnership with local jurisdictions, will establish and maintain along main and freezing it to ice that stayed around for three days. As I write this, we’re still corridors if the weather causes major system-wide disruptions. analyzing what went well and where This year we’re also asking our customers to become part of our preparedness we still have room for improvement. But overall, I’m proud to say that our team by finding out in advance what they should know to make riding Metro preparations paid off. We were ready, easier during adverse weather. and it showed. The Marketing and Service Information In this issue I want to give special thanks to all the Group has updated the snow guide Executive tours control center.......2 bus operators who worked through that explains our snow alert system Short shots ...................................3 extremely difficult conditions on the and emergency service network, and night the storm hit. Many of you spent also provides tips for traveling in snow. Regional Transit Task Force...........4 long hours trapped in stuck coaches or They’ve also redesigned the Alerts RapidRide A Line launch ...............5 Continued on page 2 Center web page, where customers can Kudos ...........................................6 check our service status, learn about any route disruptions, and sign up for e-mail Performance corner ......................7 Transit Alerts. On the move .................................8 Continued on page 5 Continued from page 1 General Manager Constantine shadows unmoving traffic, yet we received more than 250 commendations for operators two communications from customers during the week of the storm. Your professionalism is a credit to coordinators this agency. Winter storms aren’t the only contingency ing County Executive Dow Constantine got a taste of what it’s like to work we’ve had to plan for. Our plans to Kin the Transit Control Center on Oct. 26. As part of his Walk in the Shoes respond to Green River flooding were of a County Employee program, Constantine chose two service communications not needed last year, but we’ve taken coordinators, Frank Lowe and Mark Foss, from 110 applicants offering him a another look and improved them in case three-hour tour of their jobs. we do need them this year. And we were also ready to address the effects of a After being introduced to staff members, pandemic flu. Although it didn’t come, Constantine donned a headset and those preparations are still in place today. plugged in with Lowe on Channel 1 to On another front, we’ve just concluded a get a first-hand idea of life in the control substantial effort that means a potential center. During the next 90 minutes, he new beginning for Metro. watched as the coordinators dealt with numerous mechanical problems, a From March through October, the medical emergency, a falsely tripped 29-member Regional Transit Task Force— appointed by the Metropolitan King emergency alarm, and traffic disruptions that affected trolley routes. He also County Council—deliberated on how we Executive Constantine, left, dons a should modify and organize our services made an all-call announcing closure of headset to observe Frank Lowe in and how we should go about making cuts the I-5 express lanes. The coordinators, action. or expansions to our service. The group impressed by his professional-sounding included elected officials, community radio voice, decided to make him an honorary coordinator. leaders, and representatives from business interests. Its recommendations Next, Constantine sat in with Foss on Channel 2, and watched him solve many of have been forwarded to the Council and, the routine challenges faced by control center coordinators on a daily basis. There once adopted, will serve as the basis was a partial blockage on the viaduct and a total blockage on Fourth Avenue S at for major changes to our strategic and S Spokane Street that caused delays and a reroute. Several mechanical problems comprehensive plans and will drive our required the dispatch of service supervisors and vehicle maintenance staff members, budget for 2012-2013 (see page 4). and there were delays due to the First Avenue S/S Dawson Street reroutes required The task force’s recommendations by the Spokane Street closure. reflect a broad-based community effort by a group of sincere, engaged individ– Both Lowe and Foss said that uals. I commend them for this effort, as Constantine appeared to be well as the excellent support provided genuinely interested in their work, throughout by Jim Jacobson, Victor asking smart questions and seeming Obeso, David Hull, and several more to enjoy his time in the control members of our Service Development center. The center got busier as the group. This process will strengthen us morning progressed, leaving little and improve our ability to make the time to explain the intricacies of difficult decisions that lie ahead. its operation, but it did offer the Mark Foss, left, explains his job to the Finally, I’d like to draw your attention to Executive a good idea of the work Executive. the photos on page 7 showing the start that’s done there on a daily basis. of RapidRide A Line service on Oct. 2. We In fact, at one point he said he was “overwhelmed” by how busy it was. anticipate big things from RapidRide, and this is only the beginning. I congratulate He thanked his hosts several times for the opportunity to visit, remarked on the all who were involved in the development “institutional knowledge” necessary to do the job of coordinator, and clearly walked and launch of this important new service. away with a new appreciation for the control center’s role in keeping our buses Kevin Desmond moving. General Manager The coordinators who were present during his visit said they appreciated the Executive taking the time to find out about their work. Page 2 SHORT SHOTS IN TRANSIT News briefs in and around the Transit Division Other service ■ Facilities security—Ever wonder adjustments who’s in charge of keeping Metro’s included many facilities—and their occupants— significant safe and secure? That would be increases in Facilities Security Coordinator Mark service on routes Norton and Assistant Facilities 265 and 271 as Security Coordinator Gail Israelson, part of the State and they deal with dozens of widely Route 520 Urban varied security issues every day. Partnership This kind of work is nothing new to Agreement, in Norton, who has managed criminal preparation for theft investigations and facility tolling on the security in the private sector and views The new Atlantic/Central operations building is taking SR-520 bridge unpredictability as the spice in a great shape. next spring; increased service on five job. “We’ll go from refining a written ■ Atlantic/Central operations Seattle routes (5, 54, 55, 60, and 75) manual to forwarding updates on a building goes vertical—Structural as a part of a Transit Now financial suspicious package check to attending steel now defines the form and size service partnership with the City of a meeting on Downtown Seattle of the new Atlantic/Central Base Seattle; the creation of new Route Transit Tunnel access in a matter of operations building. Jim Carlson, 910 as part of a Transit Now financial minutes,” he said. resident engineer, and John Whitney, service partnership with the City of construction manager (Design and Auburn; and improvements to service Israelson retired from a career in Construction), are coordinating the on routes in southeast King County the Air Force and then worked for a project—working with the contractor and in the Kirkland-Redmond- local security firm before signing on and interfacing daily with the City of Eastgate corridor that were funded to assist Norton’s predecessor, and Seattle, inspectors, testing agencies, by a state regional mobility grant. brings her own unique skills to the job. engineers, consultants, and Base Schedule efficiencies and trip cuts “Where I’m the strategist, Gail is the Operation staff members.