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Bus crashes through I-5 barrier // (c) Associated Press
If you're thinking this picture looks an awful lot like a bus dangling precariously over the edge of the I-5 barrier, well, that's because it is. The dangerously icy conditions in Seattle led to an accident between two charter buses in Capitol Hill today that left locals understandably shaken.
It's especially lucky there were no pedestrians in the way, considering how many people are using walking as their #1 mode of transport right now. I walked (er, skated?) down the Pine St. hill today to take the 194 bus to the airport. Just for the record, the bus to SeaTac is your best bet right now...
On the way down, I wiped out pretty hardcore. At fiirst I laughed at myself for walking like a novice. But as I looked around, people were dropping like flies. It was like a skating rink - except downhill with cars and buses going by. It made me revisit my position on Seattle's preparedness (or lack thereof) for snow storms.
I know, it didn't used to snow in Seattle every year. I know, salt is bad for the roads and environment. And yes, I've considered that plows, sand, and salt would cost taxpayers money going forward. But take one more look at the harrowing crash scene. Now consider the worst-case scenario of what could've been. It seems worth it to me (and my bruised body is willing to foot part of the bill).
Today I landed in the midst of a snowstorm in New Jersey. And it reminded me - a few inches of snow shouldn't shut a major city down for days (trust me, that's more money lost). And it certainly shouldn't result in dangerously icy conditions that leave motorists and pedestrians looking like they're training for the Ice Capades.
To be fair, I know none of us saw this coming. But as more snow is expected to fall on Seattle this weekend, let this winter serve as a guide and a discussion point for how we want our city to respond in the future. But in the meantime, if you are planning on walking to the bus to get to SeaTac, wear sturdy shoes - and some extra padding (seriously).
Once again, happy holidays and safe travels!
Comments
We can't salt or sand most of our roadways because the grading on our hills is too steep.
New Jersey and most other major cities that get hit with a lot of snow are flat.
New Jersey has lots of hilly areas. Salt, sand and snow plows keep the city roadways drivable and walk able. Life is not completely paralyzed for days after a snow storm. Another example is Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, it has hills, they use sand, salt and plows.
Thanks for you comments. Yeah, New Jersey has got some mean hills, as does upstate New York, and the Pittsburgh area. Salting, sanding, and plowing are all standard procedure and salt works well in hilly areas as long as you use it early enough in the process. Once you're dealing with ice, salt really can't work as effectively, no matter how flat the road is. But even if you're dealing with a hill, if you put salt down early during the snowfall, it's amazing how well it can work.
Update: The Seattle Times just ran an article explaining that the city of Seattle refuses to use salt - however, snow experts in the area and the Department of Transportation see salt as one of the most effective ways to make the roads safe and ice-free. Experts also say that occasional salt use would not have a long-lasting effect on the environment.
One more update: The Seattle Times is now reporting that the sand the city used for deicing the road surface is actually worse than salt (which the city refused to use)for the environment...
Yes, in the '60s snow used to be a novelty. The whole "it doesn't snow much we don't need snowplows/sand/salt/etc" made sense. The first time you heard it. But the 2nd time you went hmmm. And the third time...well, maybe you better change your preconceptions. The recent snow scared me. Because I know now that if a real emergency happens Seattle will be totally unprepared and it's every person for themselves.
Do yourself a favor Shiwani. Move back to the east coast while the gettin's good.
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