King County Metro to reopen four bus stops after conducting safety review

King County Metro will be reopening four bus stops near 12th Ave. South and South Jackson Street following an effort focused on improving community safety in Little Saigon, Wash., by Seattle and King County law enforcement and social service agencies. 

The agency initially closed down these bus stops on Dec. 16, to improve public safety and reduce the number of people congregating near the stops at 12th and Jackson. King County Metro notes law enforcement conducted several targeted investigations and made necessary arrests for unlawful conduct to improve the conditions for transit operators, transit facilities employees and riders waiting for bus service. The agency says bus stop safety conditions were monitored by a team of King County Metro operations, safety, facilities and police staff for several weeks. 

Routes 1, 7, 9, 14, 36, 60 and 106 will begin serving the four stops on March 3. King County Metro will be sending out customer notifications at both the affected and nearby bus stops.  

King County Metro says its goal is for bus riders to be able to board and exit freely and for transit operators to serve these bus stops without people unsafely blocking either the street or sidewalks. 

The agency notes it will continue to monitor the area and coordinate with local police and social service providers to maintain reliable operations that support the safety of its transit employees and riders. 

King County Metro says it will continue to use data and input from operators and customers to guide decisions and efforts to improve and address security.