SEATTLE — The King County Council has released its safety report from its transit safety task force.
The task force, and the report released Monday, are in response to the murder of Shawn Yim, a King County Metro driver who was stabbed to death on the job in December.
Monday’s transit safety report included overall safety initiatives, actions already taken, an implementation plan for future efforts and next steps needed.
“Every operator behind the wheel, every rider on board, and every neighborhood our buses and trains pass through deserves to feel protected, respected, and cared for. But this is only the beginning. Now comes the urgent work of transforming the ideas contained in this report into action: into tools that hold us accountable, into systems that respond swiftly with compassion and effectiveness, and into a transit network that is safe for all,” Councilmember Claudia Balducci said.
The task force identified six initiatives to focus safety efforts around, with highlights from the implementation plan including:
- To eliminate delays and confusion during emergencies, regional interagency coordination is strengthened through establishing a regional response infrastructure with formal MOUs, unified response protocols, standardized incident definitions, and a proposed Unified Regional Operations Center that connects Metro, Sound Transit, law enforcement, dispatchers, and local jurisdictions.
- To increase rider trust and accountability, a regionwide Rider Code of Conduct campaign introduces standardized signage and aligned enforcement protocols under K.C.C. 28.96 and local laws.
- To provide visible presence and quicker interventions at high-incident locations, on-the-ground safety is enhanced with increased staffing of diverse responders, site-based pilots, expanded real-time data sharing, and outreach and reporting tools that shorten response times and improve perceptions of safety.
- To reduce daily risks faced by frontline staff, operator safety is reinforced through installation of physical barriers across the bus fleet, paired with new training, post-incident support, and supervisor backup.
- To ensure vulnerable riders are met with alternative responses instead of enforcement-first approaches, task force priorities expand to include behavioral health crisis response, youth-centered safety strategies, and support for unhoused riders.
The task force convened 14 working sessions since March, engaging more than 250 stakeholders across King County and coming up with a host of gaps, challenges and solutions.
“The implementation plan focuses responses to regional alignment – coordination, responder and outreach staffing – and transit agency – field staffing and operator support, workforce training, safe transit environments, and employee and rider reporting systems," the task force wrote.
The report work follows up on the $26.1 million made in this summer’s supplemental county budget for safety and security investments for King County Metro to fund more Transit Police and Transit Security Officers across its regional network.
“A key next step is to launch what the Task Force has called the Implementation Review Group, which will function as the governance body, alongside a consultant team. That group will further define the scope and timelines and then come up with short-, medium-, and long-term actions they can take,” the task force wrote.
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