SEATTLE — On Tuesday, the King County Council is expected to approve a “Transit Safety Task Force” for King County.
The group of county leaders, bus drivers, and transit leaders would help decide on new safety measures for King County Metro buses.
The proposal for this task force follows a series of violent months on or near metro buses where people were injured or killed.
In December, bus driver Shawn Yim was stabbed to death by a passenger during an altercation in the U-District.
Last month, two people were shot on board a Metro bus in Tukwila.
ATU 587 President Greg Woodfill tells us those are just a few of the hundreds of violent incidents on board buses over the years. This is why he says something needs to be done before someone gets hurt yet again.
“We’ve been calling for more police and security and ownership from all communities,” Woodfill said.
Tore Lydersen has been driving a King County Metro bus for 24 years. He said he has never been physically attacked but considers himself one of the lucky ones.
“I’ve been threatened many times, I’ve seen many guns, many knives, but nobody has ever gone that far with me,” Lydersen said.
King County Councilman Reagan Dunn said this newly implemented task force is bringing voices together for change.
“Bus operators themselves are a part of this, King County Metro Management, some of our local human services groups that deal with homelessness and drug use, Sound Transit, and riders organizations as well,” Dunn said.
But the potential new safety measures aren’t just for drivers.
“The passengers we care about too, we feel like we are the only ones fighting for the safety of our passengers,” Woodfill said.
The safety of nervous passengers such as Scott Sipaseuth in Tukwila.
“I see a lot of people that when they sleep, people would try to go through their pockets, so you try to watch out for them,” Sipaseuth said.
Woodfill tells us they want enclosed compartments for drivers, transit police on board every bus, and more patrols on those routes considered especially dangerous.
The task force must have a plan of action report by September so that the county can move forward with the additional safety measures.
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