Light rail shooting in Seattle raises transit safety concerns amid increasing ridership

A 48-year-old man was shot in the head near the Northgate LINK light rail station in Seattle, raising significant concerns about transit safety. The victim was approached from behind shortly after exiting the station and is currently in critical condition at Harborview Medical Center. In response, Sound Transit announced an increase in security personnel at the station and across its system, with measures expected to last through the week. This incident follows a recent stabbing on a King County Metro bus, further highlighting safety issues as ridership grows amidst the Revive I-5 project. Sound Transit has already invested $250 million over six years in security, doubling its personnel to 550.

Additionally, King County Executive Shannon Braddock proposed an extra $26. 1 million for safety enhancements, which includes increasing Transit Police and adding safety partitions on buses. Despite these efforts, incidents persist, with 39 weapon-related assaults reported against passengers in 2024. The proposed budget aims to address these concerns and improve safety for the nearly 14,000 daily riders along designated bus lanes.