SEATTLE — Four bus stops are back open in Little Saigon after King County Metro leaders say violence caused them to shut down.
The four stops closed on December 16 and reopened on March 3. The stops serve seven different bus lines through Little Saigon.
Jeff Switzer with King County Metro said closing the stops curbed violence and trash buildup in the area, but it also inconvenienced many riders who had to walk farther to get to their bus.
“People really like these bus stops, it’s a hub and an intersection of a lot of services,” Switzer said.
He tells us the stops were closed after a streak of violence in the area. Just weeks before the closure, nine people were stabbed across three days near the intersection of 12th Avenue South and South Jackson.
“We saw a lot of instability and criminal activity that was occurring at and near the stops in the area,” Switzer said. “It was hard to get on and off the bus easily.”
Nearby business owner Henry Coo tells us the closures helped keep the area safe and they want it to stay that way.
“The area is bad, all Seattle people know don’t go to Chinatown it’s too dangerous, we should make it safe for people then more people can come in,” Coo said.
However, bus riders say they love the convenience of these stops.
“I’m very happy because I was always waiting on the other one instead, but I live right beside here,” said one rider.
Switzer said Transit Police are working with Seattle Police and the King County Sheriff’s Office to increase patrols in Little Saigon.
“People should absolutely contact Metro if they have concerns about stop locations in our community and if it’s a bigger emergency never hesitate to call 911,” Switzer said.
Metro Transit Police Chief Todd Morrell says the Seattle Police Department, the City of Seattle, Metro, and the King County Sheriff’s Office were all part of the process to improve safety at the intersection.
“The focus was reinstating service quickly,” Morrell said, “We all came together and decided we need to have a really cohesive response to this, of which law enforcement is a component.”
Morrell expects law enforcement presence to ebb and flow as substantial improvements to safety are seen, and he hopes the prevalence of officers and deputies early on will create a “norm” of acceptable behavior on the system that will translate throughout the county.
Switzer says the Chinatown-International District should be accessible to everyone, “When people have to get off the bus and hike two blocks uphill or downhill, it makes it harder for people with mobility challenges trying to get to the bus.”
You can find rider information here: https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/metro/rider-tools
©2025 Cox Media Group
