A
s frigid winter weather moves through the Kanawha Valley, bringing ice and snow-covered roads, officials warn motorists to travel cautiously.
But residents who rely on the region’s public transportation system have faced altered and canceled routes during recent inclement weather – a decision administrators with the Kanawha Valley Regional Transportation Authority (KRT) said they do not take lightly.
“The general public expects us to run all the time, but there are times that we just can't,” Curt Zickafoose, the agency’s Title VI Coordinator, told members of KRT’s board during their January meeting.
Zickafoose said several factors play into administrators’ decision to alter or cancel routes – more than just road conditions.
“[Bus] stops, sidewalks -- how bad are they?” Zickafoose asked rhetorically, offering a walk-through of the decision-making process. “Can the passengers actually get there, can they stand there, is it safe?”
Transportation officials must also consider the needs of other local agencies, including first responders.
“Other agencies may not want us to be on the roads at that particular time,” Zickafoose said. “If [a bus goes] into a ditch, it's a little bit more for that tow truck and those emergency crews to come to get a bus out of the ditch, than for a regular vehicle.”
KRT officials canceled bus service entirely during portions of Winter Storm Blair. On other days – including Sunday, Jan. 19, and Monday, Jan. 20 – they were forced to alter certain routes.
Most passengers have been understanding, Zickafoose said, recognizing that route alterations and cancellations keep riders and drivers safe. However, some bus users have expressed worry about being stranded at a destination after routes have been canceled after operating earlier in the day.
“Will the bus going from Nitro Marketplace be running after 3:30 [p.m.]?” Samuel Flemming, of Rand, wrote on KRT’s Facebook page Sunday. “I'm at work and I don't want to get stuck out here. I am not from here and have no ride going back home.”
Zickafoose said that’s the “biggest stress” for transit officials.
“The hardest thing that we have is when we start service, and we let people off, and we take them all over the place, and then it snows,” Zickafoose said.“We've got to go get those individuals.”
Fortunately for Flemming and other Nitro Marketplace riders, KRT was able to restore normal service to the area on Sunday after initially halting the trip due to road conditions.
Sean Hill, KRT’s Executive Director, said the decision to alter or stop service – even when a state of emergency is declared – is made on a “case to case” basis.
“Buses perform really well on snow,” Hill said. “But there's not a vehicle on the planet that operates really well on ice.”
KRT’s drivers are often the first line of defense in helping administrators determine whether a route should be altered or canceled.
“Our drivers are very confident because they're very good at what they do,” Hill said. “When they come in and… they're nervous, I don't feel comfortable [keeping a route open].”
KRT uses its social media platforms and the Transit app to provide real-time updates on service changes. Employees have been quick to respond to riders’ questions online and via telephone during recent inclement weather.
While route changes and cancellations are an inconvenience, officials said alterations are not made without considerable thought.
“We've been a little bit more cautious [in halting service] than other administrations, but there are reasons for that,” Zickafoose said.
Hill agreed.
“We did this safer-than-sorry approach this time, and I'm thankful that we did it because I think it was the right call.”
