Date:
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Contact:
Jamie Holter, WSDOT Communications (206) 440-4698
SEATTLE - “Preparing for winter and getting through tough storms is a team effort,” said Lorena Eng, WSDOT Regional Administrator. “Agencies must work together and the public must do their part.”
Today, Eng joined representatives from the city of Seattle, King County and Puget Sound Energy as the organizations talked detailed plans to take winter by storm.
“I am proud of the strides our agency has made since the record-breaking storms of 2006,” said Eng. “Governor Chris Gregoire asked WSDOT to improve how it responds to winter weather. After nine months of planning, we have developed an extensive and efficient plan to deal with extreme winter weather.”
This year WSDOT will:
- tow King County Metro and Community Transit buses to the nearest safe spot to get them out of the travel lanes more quickly
- clear highways to allow local power companies to restore service to its customers
- continue to help drivers plan their route by placing accurate, detailed and timely information on WSDOT Web page
This year WSDOT has:
- installed new, more reliable wind sensors on the SR 520 and I-90 bridges
- added new snow-fighting stockpiles at locations closer to the roads they serve
- added more deicer capacity to dozens of trucks
- provided hand-held road temperature sensors to dozens of plow drivers
- incorporated transit routes into snow removal plans
- sent more staff to snow college to become better trained in snow fighting
- cross-trained additional staff to work in the emergency operations center and serve as plow truck operators Incident Response Team members.
Eng reiterated that is important that drivers have realistic expectations about what any agency can do.
“After last year’s storms, some called for more equipment and expected many agencies to be completely prepared for the once-in-a-lifetime storm. That’s unrealistic. We don’t think it’s a wise investment of taxpayer dollars to buy equipment and hire staff that will be used once a decade,” said Eng. “We’ll do our part. We’ll work 12 hour shifts throughout the winter and make use of the best tools available, but we need drivers to help as well.”
Eng noted over the summer, drivers were asked to prepare for the I-5 construction in downtown Seattle. As a result, WSDOT saw a 50 percent drop in vehicle traffic. “It’s clear our drivers know how to plan ahead. They worked from home, they talked to their employers about sliding schedules, they worked from satellite offices closer to home. It worked! Don’t wait until snow or ice is in the forecast to talk to your employer about the options you have. We know not everyone can stay home on a snow day, but maybe there’s a better way to get work done AND not take unnecessary risks.”
Drivers looking for more information about commute options should go to this link: www.wsdot.wa.gov/choices/
WSDOT will continue to provide drivers with up-to-date traveler information via the WSDOT Web site. Demand for this information continues to grow and break records.
“Every year more people access our information. We’ve been looking at innovative ways to handle the increasing amount of use within our existing budget,” said Jeremy Bertrand, WSDOT Web team. “We think this will really help drivers get the information they need.”
Drivers can go to: www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/trafficalerts/
< Back to News Home