In response to ongoing freezing weather and snowstorms in the forecast, King County Metro activated its Emergency Snow Network (ESN) on Feb. 9 at 4 a.m. Due to the forecast, worsening road conditions and buses requiring repairs, the ESN will continue Monday, Feb. 11 and Tuesday, Feb. 12. There are only 67 routes and shuttles in operation until further notice.

What does it mean for me?

ESN transit service is focused on plowed and treated arterial roadways maintained by the state and local jurisdictions.

However some residents are along routes that are not possible to serve under major winter storm conditions. 

The following are nearest alternatives for South Seattle, including West Seattle, residents who need to use transit and are not directly served by the ESN. 

Please note all routes listed are traveling on their snow route pathways.

  • West Seattle – Use Routes 128 (map) with connections along California Avenue and at the Alaska Junction, the C Line (map), the C Line Shuttle (map) for Fauntleroy, the Route 21 (map) along 35th Avenue SW, Route 120 (map) along Delridge Way SW, and water taxi shuttle routes 773/775 (map) with service to Alki.
  • Arbor Heights – Use Route 21 (map) or the R Line shuttle (map) on SW Barton and SW Roxbury Streets.
  • South Park –
    • *New for Tuesday, Feb. 12* Take the South Park shuttle to Route 124 in Georgetown with direct service to downtown Seattle, Tukwila and SeaTac Airport. It will operate from 5:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. on roadways that are a part of SDOT’s snow plowing plan. It will serve stops normally served by Route 132 and Route 60 and come approximately every 60 minutes.
    • Connect to Route 128 (map) at 4th Avenue SW and SW Roxbury Street; or to Route 124 (map) along East Marginal Way South near Boeing.
  • Beacon Hill – Connect to Route 36 (map) at Beacon Ave S.
  • Mount Baker – Find service on Martin Luther King Jr. Way South on Route 48 (map) and Route 106 (map) or on Rainier Avenue South on Route 7 (map).
  • Seward Park – Find service on Rainier Avenue South on Route 7 (map).
  • South Beacon Hill – Find service on Martin Luther King Jr. Way South on Route 106 (map) or on South Myrtle St on Route 36 (map).
  • Link Light Rail Stations – Link light rail will be operational on Monday. For most up-to-date information on Sound Transit Link, Sounder, and Express Bus service alerts go HERE.

For specific stop locations, use the “Stop and Next Arrival” feature of Metro’s Puget Sound Trip Planner. DO NOT use the schedule or trip planning information on the Trip Planner for Emergency Snow Network information.

Note: Metro and transportation agencies intend for most bus stops along these routes to be available, but in some cases such as on steeper uphill slopes, buses may not be able to stop at all designated locations.

Why activate the ESN?

Transit vehicles are only able to safely operate on effectively plowed, sanded, and/or de-iced arterial streets, roads, highways, or freeways. When major winter storms occur and significant snow or ice accumulates on street surfaces, Metro installs tire chains on all buses and the ESN is activated in order to allow the backbone of the network to continue operating. The goal is to serve as many customers on these high-ridership routes and corridors reliably during the winter weather over several days.

All routes not in operation

1 132 277
2 143 301
4 Shuttle 148 303
8 153 304
9 154 308
11 156 309
12 157 311
13 158 312
14 159 316
15 164 330
17 167 342
18 177 346
19 178 347
22 179 355
26 182 373
27 183 628
28 186 630
29 187 631
33 190 635
37 192 823
43 193 824
47 197 886
49 200 887
50 201 888
55 204 889
56 208 891
57 212 892
60 214 893
63 216 894
64 217 895
67 218 901
71 219 908
73 221 910
74 224 913
76 226 914
77 232 915
78 234 916
105 236 917
107 237 952
111 238 980
113 240 981
114 241 982
116 243 984
119 244 986
118 246 987
121 249 988
122 252 989
123 257 994
125 268 995
131 269

What riders should know

Metro encourages people to avoid traveling if at all possible.

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. Routes will travel on posted snow routes unless otherwise communicated.

Metro’s Customer Information Office opens at 6 a.m. Monday to assist riders with trip planning. Get in touch at 206-553-3000.

Posted timetables on Metro’s Schedules and Maps page are a good point of reference for the 60 ESN routes that are operating, but unforeseen roadway 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 intending 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. Next Departure features and Text for Departure tools are working for only bus routes that are in service.