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Seattle Lays Out Snow Removal Plans

A rider waits for a Metro bus on 4th Avenue last week. Metro buses were unable to navigate through the snowstorms of 2008, a situation which played a role in voters rejecting a third term for Mayor Greg Nickels.
Gary Davis/KPLU photo.
A rider waits for a Metro bus on 4th Avenue last week. Metro buses were unable to navigate through the snowstorms of 2008, a situation which played a role in voters rejecting a third term for Mayor Greg Nickels.

 Seattle says it can handle the snow this time around.  In 2008, the city was paralyzed by a series of storms.  Buses didn’t run, sidewalks were caked with ice and streets weren’t passable for more than a week.

Reports after the fact showed the city was unprepared. Snow routes weren’t plowed.  There was a communication breakdown between Seattle Department of Transportation and Metro Transit officials.

The city’s poor response to the snow storm is often credited with the defeat of former Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels.

At a news conference Tuesday morning, Mayor Mike McGinn will outline how the city will prioritize snow removal.  According to

KING-TV, for example, Seattle won’t make any attempt to clear Queen Anne Avenue North on Queen Anne Hill.  Officials say it’s a waste of time to concentrate on such steep slopes.

Paula is a former host, reporter and producer who retired from KNKX in 2021. She joined the station in 1989 as All Things Considered host and covered the Law and Justice beat for 15 years. Paula grew up in Idaho and, prior to KNKX, worked in public radio and television in Boise, San Francisco and upstate New York.