Bus riders, get ready for bigger, strong barriers to protect Metros drivers
King County Metro is set to improve safety for its bus operators by retrofitting its fleet with larger, stronger barriers. The county has ordered 89 new buses featuring enhanced safety partitions, while plans are in place to retrofit up to 1,300 of the existing 1,400 coaches. This initiative follows the tragic murder of transit operator Shawn Yim, which spurred the creation of a Transit Safety and Security Task Force earlier this year. County Executive Shannon Braddock affirmed the commitment to expedite the installation of safety partitions across the fleet. Currently, operators are assessing various partition designs, touring Metro bases to evaluate their effectiveness.
The task force aims to enhance safety not only on buses but also at bus stops. Although the cost of the fleet retrofit has not been disclosed, a report detailing progress on safety improvements is expected in September. Braddock emphasized the importance of listening to operator feedback in developing these enhanced safety measures.