King County Metro is testing four types of safety partitions for bus drivers as it prepares to retrofit up to 1,300 vehicles in its fleet, according to county officials.
The temporary installation is part of a pilot program running through July 5, during which four buses—each equipped with a different commercially available safety partition—will circulate through Metro’s operating bases.
The goal is to evaluate the best design to increase driver protection from assaults while maintaining passenger accessibility and comfort.
The retrofit plan affects most of Metro’s 1,400 buses. The remaining vehicles will be replaced by 89 newly ordered buses that already come with upgraded safety partitions installed.
“King County is moving forward as quickly as possible to select and install operator safety partitions on every Metro bus, fulfilling our commitment to enhance transit safety for operators and riders,” said Executive Shannon Braddock. “We listened to our operators’ feedback, which led to improved, larger partition designs and the installation of safety partitions on the 89 new buses arriving next year.”
Metro serves more than 300,000 riders on weekdays.
The agency reported a significant drop in operator assaults following the implementation of its “Care and Presence” safety initiative, which launched in 2023.
According to Metro, driver assaults decreased by 56% between 2023 and 2024, and fell another 20% in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024.
“While ridership and safety trends are very encouraging, our goal will always be zero incidents,” Braddock said. “King County continues to expand our comprehensive approach to transit safety — including 24/7 cleaning crews, behavioral health specialists, Metro Transit Police, Metro Transit Security Officers, safety partitions and more — to ensure every trip is safe and welcoming.”
Metro General Manager Michelle Allison said the push for safety partitions has been a multi-year effort and highlighted recent progress on the timeline.
“Safety is absolutely paramount, and our bus operators often share with me how important these partitions are to them,” Allison said. “We’re now on track to begin installation later this year and to reach 100% of buses by 2026. That completion date is an improvement of roughly two years from an earlier estimate.”
The Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 587, which represents Metro’s bus operators, also voiced support for the upgrades.
“Stronger and larger operator safety partitions will provide better protection for our operators from assaults and allow them to focus more on safe driving, which ultimately means safer trips for passengers,” said ATU Local 587 President Greg Woodfill.
After the evaluation period and based on operator feedback, Metro will proceed with the procurement process to begin retrofitting its existing fleet later this year.
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