Seattle committee hears regionwide push to restore order on buses and trains after driver killing

The Seattle City Council Transportation Committee held a regional roundtable on transit security on Feb. 8, 2025, bringing together city, county and Sound Transit officials, union leaders and business representatives to discuss steps to improve safety on buses and trains after the Dec. 18 killing of King County Metro operator Sean Yim.

The meeting opened with Rob Sacca, chair of the Transportation Committee, describing recent incidents and urging a regional response. “This kind of behavior does not engender the type of public confidence and trust in the average member of the public that we need,” Sacca said.

Why it matters: Committee members and witnesses said fears about safety are reducing ridership and putting transit investments at risk. ATU Local 587 leaders told the council that public transit is “at a tipping point and at a crossroads,” and urged coordinated action from cities, the county and the state. Officials described a mix of enforcement, outreach and capital measures already underway or planned to change conditions on the system.

King County Metro General Manager Michelle Allison said Metro has shifted from a traditional law-enforcement-led model toward what she called a “care…