Effective May 2, customer vehicles that are 25 feet or longer will be prohibited at King County’s Algona solid waste transfer station. The new restriction is a part of updated safety measures put in place by the county.

The new vehicle length restriction will also be in place at the Houghton and Renton solid waste transfer stations as well. A 30-foot vehicle restriction is already in place at all three transfer stations.

According to King County Solid Waste, the increased risk of injury and accidents make the safety improvements necessary. The new safety measures are meant to prevent transfer station customers from entering a fall hazard zone and reduce traffic congestion.

Currently concrete barriers installed at these transfer stations meant to keep customers outside a fall hazard area have reduced the length of the disposal stalls. This has resulted in larger vehicles having less room to safely maneuver inside the older, smaller, transfer stations.

You Might Also Like: Have Questions About the New South County Recycling and Transfer Station?

Commercial haulers under contract to collect municipal waste will be exempt from the new restrictions. Customers with longer vehicles can drop off materials at the Bow Lake, Factoria, Enumclaw, and Shoreline recycling and transfer stations.

The Bow Lake, Factoria, Enumclaw, and Shoreline stations offer more services and can accommodate larger vehicles. They also offer discounted fees for recycling, including yard waste disposal. Customers can use the Check the Line website, which offers camera views at the Algona, Bow Lake, Factoria, Houghton, Renton, and Shoreline solid waste facilities.

A release from King County Solid Waste states the division “is activating the safety measures before peak customer activity in late spring and summer.”