January 25, 2008

TriMet prepares for weekend winter storm

TriMet is preparing for winter weather this weekend and chaining 60 buses. At this time, the chained buses are targeted for the routes serving the West Hills and Mt Scott. As a contingency, chaining crews will be on standby at key locations throughout the region to chain buses already in service.

Winter weather prep

• Should weather conditions warrant, TriMet will chain all buses for Sunday morning pullout serving 53 bus lines.
• TriMet sanding trucks are available to put sand down in higher elevation routes in partnership with the city of Portland.
• Snow routes—one designated snow route for each route affected by conditions with up-to-date information and maps on trimet.org. This streamlined information has ended much of the confusion for our riders.
• TriMet's service alerts page updates every 15 minutes with real-time information on snow routes.

With the weather forecast calling for snow, MAX and Portland Streetcar service are not expected to be affected and will run on their regular weekend schedules. LIFT door-to-door service for the elderly and people with disabilities will run normally and will limit service only in the case of a severe weather event

Rider tips

• Chained buses travel slower and are not on schedule, but arrive at regular intervals.
• Dress warmly & stay visible: wave to the operator to help them see you and carry a small flashlight or strobe.
• Wait on flat ground: If your bus stop is on a hill, walk to the bottom or top since buses can’t stop on a hill.
• Walk to a stop on a busy street if no traffic going by your bus stop.
• Stand on the curb: until buses come to a complete stop. Buses may not pull up to the curb in order to prevent damaging tire chains, so you may have to step into the street to board.
• When buses and trains are delayed, TriMet's TransitTracker cannot accurately predict specific stop arrivals. As a result, it may be unavailable during bad weather. You can still check trimet.org or call 503-238-RIDE for the most up-to-date information on route detours and cancellations.