Metro unveils Black Lives Matter buses

SEATTLE — King County Metro Transit unveiled its new Black Lives Matter buses, exterior bus ads and worksite displays across the county Thursday.

In late 2020, Metro asked employees to show what Black Lives Matter means to them through visual art.

“In each display, employee-artists voiced their concerns about equity and social justice in America, the pride they have in being African American, and their belief that the fight for equality continues,” Metro said in a blog post.

A panel then chose three pieces from the entries, each by a different employee-artist.

The piece by bus driver Robert L. Horton can be seen on two 60-foot Metro buses, which have been fully wrapped with his art.

Bus driver Sandra Padilla’s work will be seen on the outside of 200 buses. It features images of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Aiyana Jones, who was 7 when she was killed during a police raid in 2010.

Designs created by Juan G. Hood III from Metro’s Facilities division focus on family. His work will be part of a poster display across all Metro worksites in King County.

“Confronting systemic racism, and taking the necessary steps to fight it, honors the lives lost. As we remember George, Breonna, and Ahmaud, we need to ensure that they, and so many others—both known and unknown—are celebrated, recognized, and remembered. But we also need to continue working and let our actions be the next step toward reaching Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘Beloved Community,’” Metro said.

“This is the start of a conversation we look forward to having with everyone in our community.”

Cox Media Group