Connecting the information dots for better transportation services
At a recent forum, Margo Christianson explained how the King County Roads Services Division uses GIS data in a variety of applications to improve roadways, bridges and transportation systems throughout the county.
King County Department of Transportation staff has found
innovative ways to share their in-depth knowledge of local geography with the public, and apply their skills in
ways old-time cartographers and surveyors never dreamed of.
Last week, county workers from a variety of departments showcased their
Geographic Information System (GIS) skills in a day-long forum that focused on how GIS technology is used
to manage information and resources, ultimately making life better for the citizens of King County and the Puget Sound region.
Geography is the science that deals with the earth and its life; especially the description of land, water, air and the distribution of plants and animal life -- including people and their imprint upon the land. King County operates a GIS Center that collects highly accurate geographic-based data about the county for all departments to use in their daily operations.
The range of applications just for the Department of Transportation is astonishing. GIS
technology is of course used to make maps, but the complexity and amount of information in these maps
makes them invaluable both to policy makers and the public.
For example, transit staff have used GIS data to create a comprehensive King County
Transportation System map that includes all: Metro and Sound Transit routes; transit centers; Park and Ride lots; bus bases;
and Transit Oriented Development sites.
For the Roads Services Division, there is an all-inclusive set of road indexes. These 40-plus online maps provide
many details about county roads with just a click of a mouse. The information even includes what type of surface covers a particular county
roadway.
But, GIS is more than a computerized way to draw maps. It is really a system for analyzing
data that occupy the same geographic space. It is estimated that more than 75 percent of all local government data
has a geographic reference. Some examples are: land parcels; road improvement and traffic data; public facilities; improvement
projects; utility locations; political boundaries; planning and zoning designations; police and fire service areas; economic
and demographic data; environmental conditions; and street address information.
Metro Transit’s popular Trip Planner uses GIS to help bus riders figure out how to get from Point A to
Point B using public transit. GIS is also the base component in new technology that tracks the location of transit vehicles in
route. This kind of tracking is extremely valuable for both scheduling and security. Work is also underway to build a bus
stop database using GIS that will help Metro automate bus stop announcements on each of its vehicles.
In the King County Roads Division, GIS data is used every day by engineers to make the best
decisions about future road and bridge improvements. By compiling traffic counts, accident statistics, signage locations,
and other factors, Roads staff has an accurate snapshot of the 2,000 miles of county roadway.
GIS data on county maintained bridges is stored in a database that is linked to another database containing
earthquake retrofit information. After the Nisqually Earthquake in 2001, this helped county staff do a speedier
inventory of the post-quake damage. Signal synchronization projects that improve the flow of traffic
starts off with GIS. And in the future, the accuracy of GIS data for Roads will be improved with state-of-the-art,
high-resolution aerial photography.
These are just a few examples of how GIS technology can be used to improve how you travel
around the region. For more information, visit King County’s online GIS Center.
Related links:
King County Department of Transportation
County Road Inventory System (CRIS) 2001 Road Index Maps
Metro Online Trip Planner
King County GIS Center
First flood of season prompts quick response by King County crews
 The first flood of the season arrived on schedule last week as King County crews quickly mobilized
to respond to moderate flooding in the Snoqualmie Valley.
Flooding along the Snoqualmie and Tolt rivers came a bit unexpectedly. The heaviest rain was
forecast to fall in the Olympic Mountains. But by early Tuesday morning, the Snoqualmie and Tolt rivers
began to overflow their banks in lowland areas prompting activation of the King County Flood Warning Center.
Shortly after, county road crews began closing flooded roads.
By late afternoon, continuous rain was causing moderate flooding along the Snoqualmie River, prompting
additional road closures. But fortunately, evening brought an end to the rain and soon the flooding began to ease.
Whenever there is flooding in King County, residents will often be reminded to never drive
through standing water or around barricades. This is a frequent message because statistics tell us that driving through
standing water is the leading cause of flood-related deaths — a message motorists should remember well if
they are ever caught in a storm and encounter flooded roadways.
Auction nets extra revenue
The King County Department of Transportation’s Fleet Administration Division conducted the second of
two major annual auctions of surplus property in October. The auction generated more than $550,000 in revenue. The sale
included equipment and materials from 11 agencies, including King County, the King County Library System, and the city of Renton.
The auction attracted buyers from all over the West Coast, including Alaska. Sale items included cars, trucks, vans, signposts,
outboard motors, generators, and other government surplus items. The next auction is
scheduled to occur in May of 2003.
Related links:
King County Fleet Administration Division, Personal Property Section auction and bid notification Web site
Opportunity Skyway gets high marks
The King County International Airport (KCIA) has developed a unique partnership with local school districts through an aviation
education program called Opportunity Skyway. The Seattle Interagency Academies recently recognized Opportunity Skyway with
the "Highest Academic Achievement Award 2002." More previously out-of-school youth attained GEDs and significantly raised
test scores at Opportunity Skyway than at any of the other sites the Seattle School District works with in its interagency program.
Related links:
Opportunity Skyway
Thanksgiving alert for bus riders
Bus passengers should be aware of changes in Metro
Transit’s bus schedules on Thursday and Friday, Nov. 28 and 29. On Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 28, Sunday
schedules will be in effect on all Metro Transit bus routes. The majority of Metro’s routes - including the Waterfront Streetcar — will
operate on a regular weekday schedule on Friday, Nov. 29. But, there are some route cancellations on that day.
For more detailed information about Thanksgiving holiday transit service, visit Metro Online.
Related links:
Metro Transit bus schedules
Metro Online
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