Update on bus service from Cap Metro:

Media Advisory
Capital Metro Will Suspend Most Bus Service
at 8:00 PM Wednesday

January 17, 2007
Capital Metro will suspend most bus service tonight beginning at 8:00 p.m. Route #100-Airport Flyer will continue after 8:00 p.m., with the last scheduled pick-up at the airport at 11:20 p.m. To assist passengers needing a later trip home, the Night Owl routes will run from 8:00 p.m. until midnight. Night Owl routes include:
• 481-North Night Owl
• 482-East Night Owl
• 483-Southeast Night Owl
• 484-Lamar/S. First Night Owl
• 485-Cameron Night Owl
• 486-Dove Springs Night Owl
Special Transit Services (STS) hours will mirror the regular bus operation with most service ending at 8:00 p.m. STS will continue along the Night Owl corridors until midnight.
Due to weather and road conditions, passengers should be prepared for significant delays throughout the service area.
Updated delay and detour information is available at www.capmetro.org.

It's a sad day in this town when you can't find a breakfast taco on your way to work.

From Austin Energy:

1/17/07 - 8:15 a.m.

Austin Energy System Report

Almost 6,000 Austin Energy customers are without power at this hour and it appears the total will continue to increase.

The number of outages has almost tripled since 7:00 a.m. as freezing rain continues, adding additional ice to tree limbs. The majority of outages involve tree limbs pressing against power lines.

A pattern of outages has also emerged. The majority of the outages are concentrated west of Mopac and north of the river. This encompasses areas of town with generally older and larger trees.

Austin Energy has 39 repair crews in service assisted by 26 contract tree trimming crews.

Austin Energy anticipates additional outages throughout the day as long as freezing rain continues and temperatures remain below freezing.

Austin Energy customers should report all outages to 322-9100. This automated line is capable of handling 1,500 outage calls simultaneously.

UPDATE: As of after 1pm, the above number has been almost halved to some 3,500 customers without power.

Major portions of the city are closed once more Wednesday, as Austin struggles to pick all the ice out its grill.

Public schools closed include AISD, Georgetown, Round Rock, San Marcos, Wimberley, and more. The University of Texas, all Austin Community College campuses, Texas State, Huston-Tillotson, and St. Edwards are all closed also.

The city has also shut its doors for another day, as have most other local government offices. They've also issued a list of highway flyovers which are closed, including the upper deck of I-35 -- this in addition to their general recommendation of staying off the roads altogether. Here are some reasons from the city as why to stay put:

• Austin Police received 173 collision reports from midnight to 10pm, Jan. 16.

• From midnight through 10pm, the Travis County Sheriff’s Office received 73 collision reports.

• From midnight through 7pm, Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services responded to 318 incidents, including 41 collisions requiring EMS intervention.

• From midnight through 7pm, Austin-Travis County EMS has responded to 42 “slip and fall” incidents where victims have fallen on the ice.

Damn! In other transportation news, as noted below, Cap Metro will offer limited bus service Wednesday. Also, if you're flying anywhere, check the flight info here.

Word.

UPDATE: Apparently, most flights at ABIA are canceled until at least noon, says News 8 Austin, due to a shortage of de-icing fluid. You can't exactly clean those planes' windshields off with a waded-up newspaper, you know.

There was one last state House race to be filled for this session, the special election runoff to fill the District 29 seat vacated due to the passing of Pearland Republican Glenda Dawson, who died in September. There wasn't any crucial party swing in play here, as both runoff qualifiers were Republicans. Tonight's results:

Mike O'Day 3,555 votes 57.23%
Randy Weber 2,657 votes 42.77%

Press release from Capital Metro:

Media Advisory
Capital Metro Will Offer Limited
Bus Service on Wednesday, January 17

January 16, 2007

Due to inclement weather and the resulting road conditions, Capital Metro will be operating a reduced service level on Wednesday, January 17th.

AISD Magnet routes, UT Shuttle routes, downtown 'Dillo routes, Express routes (Routes numbered 900-999) and Limited stop routes (routes numbered 101 through 199) will NOT operate.

Route 100 Airport Flyer will continue to operate.

All other routes will operate on reduced schedules. Due to weather and road conditions, passengers should be prepared for significant delays throughout the service area.

Information regarding delays and detours will be posted online at www.capmetro.org.

Oh great … ANOTHER day home with the kids. AISD just announced that all schools and administrative offices will be closed on Wednesday, Jan. 17, due to continued forecasts of bad weather.

If you depend on evening bus service, start planning your trip home early. Capital Metro warns:

Media Advisory
Regular Capital Metro Bus Service to End at 8:00 p.m.

January 16, 2007


Capital Metro will suspend regular bus service tonight beginning at 8:00 p.m. Route #100-Airport Flyer will continue after 8:00 p.m., with the last scheduled pick-up at the airport at 11:20 p.m.

The following Night Owl Routes will continue operation from 8:00 p.m. until midnight:

481-North Night Owl
482-East Night Owl
483-Southeast Night Owl
484-Lamar/S. First Night Owl
485-Cameron Night Owl
486-Dove Springs Night Owl

Special Transit Services (STS) hours will mirror the regular bus operation with most service ending at 8:00 p.m. STS will continue along the Night Owl corridors until midnight.

Due to weather and road conditions, passengers should be prepared for significant delays throughout the service area.

Capital Metro will determine its Wednesday service level following decisions on closures by schools and government offices later tonight. Information will be posted online at www.capmetro.org.

Yes, Joel Osteen is delivering the invocation for Rick Perry's swearing in. Kinda surprising; from his Wikipedia page, he doesn't sound nearly as Christian Taliban as Rick "Yer all going to hell" Perry would like. Oh well, different strokes.

You can watch the swearing-in ceremony online here.

[Ed. Note from Lee Nichols: It's also showing on KVUE, News 8 Austin, and KXAN, but Fox-7 - despite saying "Inauguration" in the program guide - is instead showing Tyra Banks. And really, I'd much rather look at Tyra Banks than Rick Perry any day, no matter how perfect his hair might be. K-EYE is making no pretense to interest in Texas civic affairs and is showing The Price Is Right with no apologies. (Come to think of it, maybe we should just call the inauguration "The Price Is Right.")]