King County hears briefing on alternatives to driving alone to Snoqualmie Pass; officials plan follow-up work

Lede: King County staff briefed the Local Services and Land Use Committee on Aug. 20, 2025, about a budget proviso requiring evaluation of alternatives to driving alone to Snoqualmie Pass, focusing on winter-season congestion, safety hazards and access. The committee directed staff to follow up with local partners and to continue exploring partnerships and operational options.

Nut graf: The briefing summarized survey results showing heavy reliance on private vehicles, reviewed existing private and public options such as employer buses, park-and-ride use and the Pave carpool app, and identified constraints to adding regular Metro service for the pass — chiefly seasonality, safety in winter mountain conditions and limited driver and vehicle capacity. Committee members asked staff for specific next steps, including confirming outreach to the Snoqualmie Pass Community Association and further evaluation of park-and-ride and partnership approaches.

Body: Chair Sarah Perry opened the briefing by noting the 2025 annual budget proviso that asked county staff to “explore alternatives to driving alone to Snoqualmie Pass, particularly in the winter to reduce congestion, reduce safety hazards, and expand access to the pass” and introduced Becca Johnson Poppy from the Department of Local Services and Brian Mannion from King County Metro to present.

Becca Johnson Poppy, Chief Administrative Officer, Department of Local Services, summarized outreach and data gathered for the briefing. She said the county reviewed the 2025 Washington Visitor Opportunity Survey for Snoqualmie Valley, which had “over 600 respondents” and that the survey showed “strong reliance on personal cars with 93% of visitors traveling by private vehicles.” She told the committee that winter sports and outdoor recreation produce highest demand during peak ski-season weekends and holidays, and that parking and transportation improvements were the top recommendations from respondents. On deterrents, she cited the survey finding that 39% of respondents reported crowding as a deterrent and 22% cited limited parking.

Johnson Poppy described the outreach the county conducted by phone with state and local agencies, ski-area operators and local organizations. She said participants included the Washington State Department of Transportation, Kittitas County, Summit at Snoqualmie, Crystal Mountain Resort, Snoqualmie Valley Economic Alliance, the Cascade Backcountry Alliance, Mountains to Sound Greenway, tribal organizations and the Snoqualmie Valley Mobility Coalition. When Councilmember Quinn asked whether the Snoqualmie Pass Community Association (SPCA) had been contacted, Johnson Poppy said she would check because the engagement had been done by a staff member who was no longer with the county and promised follow-up if that outreach had not occurred.

Brian Mannion, Deputy Director, Mobility Division, King County Metro, summarized Metro’s assessment. He said Metro’s service guidelines — which prioritize land use, equity, geographic value and integration with other mobility options — do not favor adding regular fixed-route or flexible Metro service to the pass for winter peaks because of the service’s seasonal nature, low-density land use along the corridor and limited multi-purpose ridership. He said transit operations face driver and vehicle scarcity countywide and that ‘‘driving in winter mountain conditions is inherently risky,’’ a factor that often leads Metro to reduce nonessential service on snow days to protect safety.

Mannion described several non‑fixed-route options the county and Metro could support. He listed technology-enabled ride-matching (including the state’s free RideShare online system), employer vanpools, Metro’s historical use of vanpools for ski-area workers, the Pave carpooling app (which some businesses report has had local success), and better use of four nearby park-and-ride facilities — Issaquah Highlands, South Sammamish Park and Ride, North Bend and Preston — as staging areas for carpools, vanpools or shuttles. He said Metro owns Issaquah Highlands and South Sammamish; WSDOT owns North Bend and Preston. Mannion also noted operational constraints: Metro vehicles and drivers are not generally equipped or trained for mountain winter driving, and equipment for ski gear storage is another logistical challenge.

Committee members pressed staff for further work. Chair Perry — noting that ‘‘There are 60,000 people every weekend at the pass, just like the Seahawks game’’ (attributed to Chair Perry during the meeting) — said she expected more concrete pathway options beyond the inventory of measures the county already has discussed for several years. Councilmember Dunne suggested Trailhead Direct (Metro’s summer service to trailheads along I-90) could be adapted to serve the summit or nearby trailheads in winter when feasible; Mannion said Trailhead Direct buses use regular vehicles and drivers and are not currently equipped for consistent winter mountain operations.

Several councilmembers recommended pursuing public‑private partnerships. Members discussed options such as scheduling employer buses on weekends, coordinating with ski-area operators to bundle transit and lessons, working with rideshare services to provide on-demand links, and exploring express ski buses that some resorts already operate. Johnson Poppy and Mannion agreed to continue outreach, to confirm contact with the Snoqualmie Pass Community Association, and to explore how to more fully use park-and-ride capacity and vanpool options.

Ending: The committee did not take formal action on the briefing. Members instructed county staff to follow up with the Snoqualmie Pass Community Association and other partners, to investigate potential pilot partnerships and park‑and‑ride uses, and to report back to the committee. No schedule for a follow-up briefing was specified during the meeting.