SEATTLE — King County hosted its first meeting Thursday for the new Regional Transit Safety Task Force.
The meeting included representatives from the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 587, city and county leaders, as well as other transportation stakeholders.
The task force was created just hours after the death of transit operator Shawn Yim in December, who was stabbed to death while on the job.
Union leaders representing Metro drivers have urged more action to protect employees and passengers.
“They’re traumatized,” said Greg Woodfill, President of ATU Local 587. “Some have PTSD. They’re afraid to come to work.”
Last year, King County prosecutors charged at least 17 people in King County with assault of a transit driver. It’s a felony.
Woodfill said it will take everyone “buying in” to solve the problem, not just one entity.
Latrelle Gibson, a bus operator and Recording Secretary for ATU Local 587, said bus operators open their doors to new dangers every day.
“We need everybody to understand what operators go through and what needs to happen in order to fix it,” he said.
He wants to see more support for drivers when they issue calls for help during a dangerous incident. He also wants to ensure drivers aren’t penalized for skipping a bus stop if they observe a dangerous situation happening outside.
Michelle Allison, General Manager of King County Metro, said the organization has already taken steps to improve safety in the aftermath of Yim’s death.
Allison said Metro has identified a partition that will be installed into new coaches and will be retrofitting older coaches.
She also said that they are hiring more transit police, and working with behavioral health professionals to identify the right resources necessary.
The task force will continue to meet throughout 2025 to identify areas to improve accountability and transit security.
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