King County council member proposes free transit for next snow emergency

SEATTLE — A recently proposed bill by King County Councilmember Jeanne Kohl-Welles could potentially make transit free during the region’s next snow emergency.

We may be well past the Northwest’s most recent snowpocalypse, but planning for the next one is already underway. That includes Kohl-Welles’s proposal.

“This past winter our region was hammered with one of the worst snowstorms the region has seen,” said Kohl-Welles. “Cars skidded out of control or got stuck, pedestrians struggled to gain footing and slipped on sidewalks, and too many of our most vulnerable citizens were left stranded. Free Metro fares will keep people safe and is the right thing to do.”

Difficulties for buses in Seattle was significant during February’s historic snowstorms. Many bus drivers found themselves unable to move, including one on Eastlake Avenue that was trapped for the better part of four hours.

Across the city, King County bus service was significantly reduced during the worst of the snow. Metro cited “persistent dangerous roadway conditions.” Things were even more treacherous for cars, with cities working overtime to plow roads.

The hope for Kohl-Welles is that making transit in King County free the next time snow hits will encourage people to make safer choices with their transportation.

"This is about promoting safety by encouraging people to stay off the roads and get to where they need using a safer mode of transportation," she said.

The bill also notes that increasing accessibility to transit during inclement weather could help the homeless population, providing a feasible option to transport people to shelter.

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