SEATTLE — King County Metro officials say assaults on drivers and passengers are down for the first time in years.
However, the driver’s union says they don’t believe enough is being done to protect people using and working on public transit.
Since King County Metro driver Shawn Yim was killed in December 2024, there has been a new push for safety measures both on buses and at stops.
ATU 587 President Greg Woodfill says they were promised increased safety measures on buses, like plastic shields along with more security. In part, he said that has happened.
“They have committed more Metro Transit Police, that’s happening; they’ve increased security guards, and that’s helped in some areas,” Woodfill said.
Some of those measures appear to be working.
Metro officials say that in 2025, 55 incidents were reported in which a driver felt threatened. Out of those, seven met the criteria for criminal charges.
In 2024, 78 incidents were reported with 15 criminal offenses.
In 2023, 63 incidents were reported with 34 criminal offenses.
King County Metro Deputy Director Ernest Kandilige said they are doing what they can to make buses safer.
“We are committed to creating a safe work environment so they (drivers) can come to work and return to their loved ones in the same shape or better,” Kandilige said.
But the KCM driver, Aaron White, said that is not enough.
“The young kids always have weapons on them, guns and knives,” White said.
Last year, Metro promised full plastic barriers for buses; they tested a pilot program last summer, but there are not permanent fixes in place.
“It’s not the funding or commitment, it’s the government taking too long to procure something like that,” Woodfill said.
Metro officials say those changes are expected to come soon.
“We hope in the next year we will be able to run through all equipment and retrofit them,” Kandilige said.
Woodfill tells us that with the new Seattle mayor in office, they hope to see more progress on the safety measures soon.
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