The B-Town (Burien) Blog | Named "Best Hyperlocal Website" in the Northwest by Society of Professional Journalists » delays

SNOW UPDATE: Here’s What We Know Is Delayed/Closed Due To Snow (2011)

Scott Schaefer — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 16:41:27 +0000

Last night’s snowfall has affected the greater Burien (and greater King County) area, causing many delays, closures, snow routes for buses and more, including lots of kids and families out having fun (so be careful if you have to drive).

Here’s what we know:

Since it’s mid-winter break for Highline Public Schools, no need for a “snow day.” However, all District Offices are Closed. No out of District Transportation. No After School Activities.
Burien City Hall is open today (Thursday, Feb. 24th), with no delays.
King County Library says that all its branches are open today as well.
Burien Police services are uninterrupted. If you need an Officer’s assistance please dial 9-1-1.
Metro Transit is running snow routes today. More info here.
Sound Transit is also running snow routes today:
- ST Express Bus – Winter weather service alert: When there are weather emergencies and poor road conditions, some delays to bus or train service may occur. Please be aware of conditions in your area, check local media reports frequently, or visit RPIN http://www.rpin.org/rpinweb/. Listen to recorded Rider Alerts by calling Sound Transit Rider Information at 1-888-889-6368.

Highline College and CWU branch will open at 10:00am today (Thursday, 2/24/11).

If you know of any other closures or delays that should be shared here, please email us: editor(at)b-townblog.com.

1st Ave Chronicles, Pt. 1: Phase 1 Undergrounding of Utilities to Happen

Scott Schaefer — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 23:58:00 +0000

by Ralph Nichols

Seattle City Light customers in Burien have been billed for the undergrounding of electrical lines along 1st Ave. S. for some time now.

And they’ve been asking when – or if – they’ll see utility lines, including those of Qwest and Comcast, disappear from the poles that still line the street.

Finally, more than two years after phase one of the First Avenue South Improvement Project was scheduled to be completed, the undergrounding of these utility lines is about to get underway.

Burien Public Works Director Larry Blanchard told The B-Town Blog that the last stage of the delay-plagued project, is about to go to bid.

Bids for what he calls “phase one, part two” of the project should be advertised later this month and opened in August.

Blanchard expects the process of taking overhead wiring off power poles and placing it in underground conduits between about S/SW 156th and S/SW 146th streets will be completed by mid-March 2011.

“Because the nature of this work is not subject to normal weather conditions, we should be able to continue throughout winter,” he added.

The city’s project manager for the final part of phase one is Doug LaMothe, who was not involved with any of the work done earlier.

While phase one has not been “on time” for two years, the $26.2 million project is still “on budget,” Blanchard said.

Work on phase one of the First Avenue South Improvement Project, from S/SW 162nd St. to 146th, got under way in late summer 2006, with completion scheduled for spring 2008.

Frank Coluccio was the general contractor. Gary Long was then Burien’s city manager and Stephen Clarke the city public works director.

Neither Long nor Clarke is still with the city. Coluccio was removed from the project in 2009 for not meeting the construction schedule.

Coluccio responded with a lawsuit against the city, alleging that delays resulted from underground lines that weren’t mapped by the city and failure by the city to complete preparatory work on time.

That case is currently in court.

While extreme winter weather in late 2006 and 2007 did slow work for a few weeks, final paving didn’t begin until late summer 2008 – six months after the original target for completion.

By the time Coluccio was removed, street improvements had been completed, except for traffic signals and traffic lights. But the contractor had done no undergrounding – even though conduits and vaults for this were in place.

Since then, some undergrounding has been done between S/SW 162nd and S/SW 156th streets where businesses along 1st Ave. S. have brought their utility lines under ground and connections have been made.

“We’re working closely with Seattle City Light to make the conversion to underground,” Blanchard said. “Quest and Comcast already have done some undergrounding with the work that SCL did on the south end.”

About $1.5 million of the original funding for this project phase remains. He said that should cover the remaining work – all undergrounding, street lighting, traffic signals, and traffic signal coordination.

Construction On SW 148th Near 1st Ave South To Begin Nov. 30th

Scott Schaefer — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 02:53:13 +0000

The cityfolk tell us that construction on the westbound lanes of SW 148th Street between 1st Ave South and 2nd Ave SW will begin Monday, Nov. 30th, and will require three days of “dry weather” to complete.

Work is scheduled to take place between the hours of 8am and 5pm, so you might want to consider taking alternate routes.

According to a news release:

The City will be grinding and paving westbound lanes of SW 148th Street from 1st Avenue South to 2nd Ave Southwest beginning the week of Nov. 30.

This work should take three days of dry weather and it will affect several travel lanes.

Work will take place 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Motorists are advised to take different routes during construction time to avoid delays.

For information on this project, please contact Sam Basmeh at 206-439-3163.

[Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/teo/ / CC BY-SA 2.0]

ADVISORY: Burien-Area Snow And School Updates

Scott Schaefer — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 14:31:11 +0000

As of 6:02am Thursday Feb. 26th it’s snowing in the Burien area, and here are the latest weather-related updates:

HIGHLINE SCHOOL DISTRICT: 2 HOURS LATE

Updated: 5:42 a.m. February 26, 2009

Highline Public Schools will operate two hours late today. Emergency bus transportation is in effect.

*There will be no breakfast, no morning classes for preschool, kindergarten, ECEAP, or PSSC. Afternoon classes for these programs will be on time.

*Schools will dismiss at regular times.

Snow and power failures can cause disruptions for schools and families. During these difficult times, HIghline Public Schools will do all it can to communicate vital information to parents and students.

Our top priority is student safety!

SEATTLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS: 2 HOURS LATE:

2 Hours Late.

Buses Operate on Snow Routes.

No Door-to-Door Service.

No A.M. or P.M. Head Start.

No A.M. or P.M. Kindergarten.

Here’s the latest from the National Weather Service:

Statement as of 4:35 AM PST on February 26, 2009

… Additional snowfall of an inch or two and freezing temperatures will warrant caution this morning…

Hazardous driving conditions will be the rule across western Washington this morning due to snow that has already fallen…Â possible accumulations of another inch or two… and freezing temperatures.

Scattered snow showers will continue this morning as the upper level low pressure system over the area moves eastward. Local
additional accumulations of an inch or two are possible. In addition temperatures have fallen below freezing across most of western Washington this morning… so roads and sidewalks will be icy even if they are free of snow.

These conditions will be relatively short lived. Temperatures will climb above freezing by noon today with highs around 40… and most of the area will have partly sunny skies.

If you’re going to be out driving, here are live webcam views – to get the latest view, be sure to refresh the page:

Got Garbage? Here’s The Latest Waste Management Updates

scottso — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 17:09:53 +0000

Garbage/Recycling provider Waste Management says that there will be NO pickups Friday, Dec. 26th in the Burien area, although they will allow “up to triple volume accepted next regular collection day for each missed curbside container.”

Here are some snippets from their latest update:

Holiday Collection Schedule Friday and Saturday weeks of Dec 25 & Jan 1:

Friday, December 26:
(although there will be no pickup today…), Waste Management’s Customer Service Center will be open from 8 AM – 5 PM:

Waste Management Customer Service website

Call 1-800 592-9995

Because of weather delays, we expect phone lines to be extremely busy, resulting in long waits.Â The alternatives below will help customers get information quickly:

Double Triple volume will be accepted on the next regular collection day for each missed residential container. If a container is missed twice, triple volume will apply.

If you have too much material to fit in your containers, check our Tips for Managing Extra Garbage and Recycling.

You can e-mail Customer Service regarding specific concerns by locating your city or county contact address on the menu provided.

Latest Sea-Tac Airport Cancellations & Delay Updates

scottso — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 21:52:03 +0000

Live webcam view from Sea-Tac Airport.
Refresh page to get latest image.

Sea-Tac Airport is apparently jammed full of people stuck as the result of numerous flight cancellations and delays.

Apparently Alaska and Horizon Airlines resumed limited service Monday after thousands of stranded travelers spent the night at the airport, where hundreds of flights have been canceled since Friday.

If you’ve got travel plans and want to get the latest information, we recommend a two-pronged approach using both your telephone and internet:

Call your airline via the number listed below (or on your itinerary/ticket).
At the same time, try accessing the Port of Seattle’s travel info website or your specific airline’s website.

So basically, you’ll have a phone in your ear while you surf the web, and eventually you’ll either get through or you’ll get your update. Just don’t give up.

Here’s the latest update from the Port of Seattle (access their airport travel info website here):

The airlines continue to face a number of challenges during this weather event.

Many flights been canceled.Â Please check your flight before coming to Sea-Tac Airport.

See contact information below:

Aeromexico 800 237-6639

Air Canada (including Air Canada regional airlines) 800 247-2262

Air France 800 237-2747

AirTran Airways 800-247-8726

Alaska Airlines 800 426-0333

American Airlines 800 433-7300

Asiana Airlines 800 227-4262

British Airways 800 247-9297

Continental Airlines 800 525-0280

Delta Air Lines 800 221-1212

EVA Air 800 695-1188

Frontier Airlines 800 432-1359

Hainan Airlines 888 688-8813

Hawaiian Airlines 800 367-5320

Horizon Air 800 547-9308

JetBlue Airways 1-800-JETBLUE

Korean Air 800-438-5000, (206) 241-1576

Lufthansa Airlines 800 399-LUFT

Midwest Airlines 800 452-2022

Northwest Airlines 800 225-2525

Scandinavian Airlines 800 221-2350

Southwest Airlines 800 435-9792

Sun Country Airlines 800 359-6786

United Airlines (including United Express) 800 241-6522

US Airways 800 428-4322

Virgin America 877 359-8474

Sunday’s Latest Sea-Tac Airport Cancellations & Delays

Scott Schaefer — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 18:29:20 +0000

Live webcam view from Sea-Tac Airport
(refresh page to see latest image).

Cancellations and delays continue at Sea-Tac Airport, and here’s the latest bulletin from the Port of Seattle:

Airport is open – two runways are operational.

There are many airline-initiated cancellations.

Backlog of strandedÂ passengers awaiting rebooking.

No local hotel rooms available, many passengers sleeping in airport.

Travelers are advised to contact their airline for flight status and to attempt to rebook from home.

Airport concessions are having trouble getting deliveries, anyone coming to the airport should come prepared.

If you’re planning on flying out anytime soon, be sure to check your flight status at the airport’s Web site: http://hosting.portseattle.org/fids.

To see live road conditions via webcam feeds, go to our Webcams page.

ADVISORY: School Delays + Snow Coming Wednesday

scottso — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 16:18:28 +0000

Looks like most schools are starting two hours late today (Tuesday, Dec. 16th), and here are the details:

Highline School District:
2 Hours Late. Limited Bus Transportation. No A. M. Kindergarten. No ECEAP/Preschool. No Out-of-District Transportation. No After-School Activity Transportation.

John F. Kennedy HS:
2 Hrs. Late.

Westside School:
9:30 A.M. Start. No AM extended care.

Seattle Public Schools:
2 Hours Late. Buses Operate on Snow Routes. No Door-to-Door Service. No Half-Day Kindergarten. No A. M. or P. M. Preschool. No A. M. or P. M. Head Start. No Activity Runs.

St. Francis of Assisi:
2 Hrs. Late. No AM Extended School Care

Hamlin Robinson School:
2 Hours Late Bus 2 Hours Late Check with school for after school activities

Also, the National Weather Service is still calling for a “Winter Storm Watch” starting late Tuesday night and extending through late Wed. night, with a prediction of up to 6 inches of snow.

Here’s their bulletin as of as of 3:51am Tuesday 12/16/08:

…Winter Storm Watch remains in effect for all of western Washington from late tonight through late Wednesday night…

Heavy snow is likely over western Washington on Wednesday. Three to six inches are possible in certain areas… including the east Puget Sound lowlands… parts of the northwest and southwest interiors mainly near the Cascades… and the inland parts of the Strait of Juan de Fuca area. Snow in these areas will begin in the north late Tuesday night and spread south Wednesday morning. By Wednesday night three to six inches of new snow are possible.

Other areas… including the Seattle metropolitan area and the Kitsap peninsula… could get less snow. Here models show one or two inches are possible. On the coast it is possible that conditions will be warm enough for rain part of the time… or mixed rain and snow. However it is not certain that sub-warning amounts will fall in these areas and the Winter Storm Watch extends to them as well.

The Cascades and Olympics will also receive heavy snow… with one or two feet of new snow likely from Wednesday through Wednesday night.

Snow levels will be at sea level through much of the event so virtually all of the precipitation will be in the form of snow.

Precautionary/preparedness actions…Monitor weather forecasts. If you have to travel… today is likely to be a much better day than Wednesday. Make sure your vehicle carries traction devices and extra blankets.

UPDATE: Most Schools Starting 2 Hours Late Monday (2008)

scottso — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 14:52:59 +0000

According to their website, all Highline Public Schools will be starting 2 hours late Monday Dec. 15th:

2 Hours Late.
No A.M. or P.M. ECEAP.
No A.M. or P.M. Preschool.
No A.M. Kindergarten.
No Out-of-District Transport.
Limited Bus Service.
Active Dates: 12/15/08 04:49 AM to 12/15/08 04:00 PM
Last Modified: 12/15/08 04:56 AM

John F. Kennedy High is also running late, with Secondary School starting 2 hours late and High School starting at 10:30am.

Westside School follows Seattle Public Schools, which means it too will open 2 hours late.

Shorewood Christian School will be closed.

St. Francis of Assisi School will start 2 hours late.

Highline Community College appears to be running on a normal schedule.

Seattle Public Schools is running 2 hours late:

2 Hours Late.
Buses Operate on Snow Routes.
No A.M. or P.M. Kindergarten.
No A.M. or P.M. Head Start.
No Door-to-Door Service.
Active Dates: 12/15/08 04:32 AM to 12/15/08 04:00 PM
Last Modified: 12/15/08 04:37 AM

Best bet for updates is at SchoolReport.org, which gets info directly from school districts.

OTHER SCHOOL CLOSURE SOURCES:

If you know of other school info, please email us.

Burien-Area School Closures/Delay Information (2008)

scottso — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 05:17:19 +0000

It’s likely that most school closures or delays won’t be announced until Monday morning; however, we do know of some:

CLOSED MON. DEC. 15th:

Shorewood Christian School

STARTING 2 HOURS LATE (10:30am):

St. Francis of Assisi School
John F. Kennedy High School

Best bet though is to access SchoolReport.org, which gets info directly from school districts.

OTHER SCHOOL CLOSURE SOURCES:

Also, don’t forget to listen to an AM news station, as they’re usually on top of these things.

We’ll be re-checking and re-posting as we get info, so re-load this page or check back in the morning.