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[KevinKorell]

Maryland MTA website, press release:

MTA PREPS FOR APPROACHING WINTER STORM

BALTIMORE, MD (January 20, 2014) – As we await the approaching winter storm with the potential of snow accumulations of up to 4 inches or more, temperatures dropping into the teens and strong wind gusts, the Maryland Transit Administration is ahead of this major snow event by preparing their buses, trains, equipment and stations to weather this significant storm:

- Our Service Delivery & Operations Control Center is patrolling the service areas to monitor road and track conditions to advise of any needed diversions, speed restrictions or service stoppage due to ice or snow.

- We have equipment such as dump trucks, manned salt trucks with plows and rail heaters ready to go to remove snow on Light Rail and Metro tracks and our Tree Trimming crews are on call.

- In the case of our buses, before the weather, all equipment was put in a “ready-to-operate” mode with each Bus Maintenance Superintendent heading up their snow motion plan.

- MARC plans to operate full service on all three lines on Tuesday morning. This is subject to change later tonight or early tomorrow morning as weather forecasts are finalized.

- As always, Operations Management will inform the public of all service disruptions through our Transit Team Reports heard on various broadcast outlets, via announcements at our stations, custom email alerts and by updating information on our website, which is www.mta.maryland.gov.

- And Transit Information Services will be on standby monitoring conditions.

If there is a need for bus diversions due to an accumulation of snow in the metropolitan area, the public will be notified via local radio and TV station announcements

We advise our passengers to please allow extra time to travel and to listen to MTA Transit Team Reports on local radio and TV stations and to visit our website at www.mta.maryland.gov. Customers can also call the MTA Transit Information Contact Center Monday through Friday from 6am to 7pm at 410-539-5000. TTY 410-539-3497. To sign up for email notifications about service delays and modifications go to www.mta.maryland.gov/enotifications and visit MTA’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/mtamaryland or Twitter feed at http://twitter.com/mtamaryland for more sources of updated information.