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As we kick off Metro’s second half-century, I want to take a moment to preview what’s ahead and to recognize recent shared accomplishments. It gives me great pride to partner with organizations and individuals dedicated to improving our region, to engage with riders whose backgrounds and futures are as diverse as our county, and to work alongside colleagues who ask themselves everyday how they can make life better for our passengers.

Care and presence

Metro riders on the average weekday would fill Lumen Field four times. Those trips—to appointments, entertainment, family, friends, shopping, school and work—are overwhelmingly safe. Our unchanging goals, however, are achieving zero security incidents and ensuring you feel safe and welcome throughout your journey. As the leader of Metro, as a rider and as a parent, I want every customer, employee and child to look forward to every trip.

Guided by you, we’ve made great strides in both security and support. We’ve more than doubled the number of Transit Security Officers—from 70 to 155—across our system. They provide a calming, proactive presence that deters incidents while fielding your questions about destinations, fares and how to ride. I’m also appreciative of Metro Transit Police and law enforcement partnerships in jurisdictions across King County. If something isn’t right, please say something. Call or text 9-1-1 in an emergency. When it’s less urgent, call Metro customer service at 206-553-3000.

You will see our Metro Ambassadors in their easily recognizable blue jackets, too. Many of our ambassadors served as Metro bus operators and are eager to help you in any way they can. Metro Ambassadors use a language interpretation service to assist riders in more than 140 languages.

Additionally, Metro’s recently launched Behavioral Health Support Team aids our neighbors who are in crisis or would benefit from resources. The team is trained in de-escalation and prevention to reduce the need for police or security. They provide food, hygiene items and cold weather supplies, and connections to community partners. During the program’s first six months, the team made 2,900 contacts with residents needing support, assisted with 40 housing referrals and provided more than 100 de-escalation interventions.

Stabilizing service—and growing

The need for transit remains clear—now and in the future. Regardless of where you’re headed and how often you travel, 96% of King County residents say access to public transit is important. All of us want affordable, reliable and safe ways to get where we’re going—and to skip congestion and stress along the way.

With King County’s population increasing, our region is wise in being unwilling to sacrifice our green spaces and health, for wider highways and polluted air. The answer is building communities that encourage walking, rolling, biking and transit. Metro and other agencies are working closely with you to design a transit system that works for each of us and future generations.

We know how important transit is to the Puget Sound region. When challenges arise—such as not having enough bus operators—we heard from you that a temporary reduction in scheduled service was preferable to not knowing whether or not your bus would arrive. We increased service reliability and are working hard to add more service in the months and years ahead.

In 2023, we linked together Burien, White Center, Delridge and downtown Seattle with the RapidRide H Line. This year, we’ll open the RapidRide G Line to make it easier than ever to travel between Madison Valley, Capitol Hill, First Hill, the Central District and downtown Seattle. You’ll enjoy new bike and transit lanes, bus shelters, crosswalks, curb cuts for strollers and wheelchairs, electronic signs with arrival information, lighting, priority traffic signals for buses and trees. The RapidRide G Line will even allow passengers to board and disembark on both sides of the bus at certain stops.

Guided by you

In addition to being general manager of King County Metro, I’m foremost a public servant entrusted with leading and building YOUR transit network. I cannot underestimate how seriously my colleagues and I take this charge and this responsibility. At every step of the way, we’re committed to working with you to learn how we can serve you best and connect you to wherever you want to go.

Please let us know when there’s a transit service that can be added or improved, or an innovation that would further expand opportunity. Transit must work for everyone—across abilities, ages, geographies, identities and languages—and that’s why we must involve everyone in its development. We’re committed to maintaining and expanding our community engagement and presence to do exactly that, while continuing to compensate individuals and organizations for their expertise and time.

When our on-demand service Metro Flex helps people connect to a bus, a light rail train or a local destination, it’s because you told us of the need and worked with us to build it. When the Water Taxi to West Seattle expanded to all-day service, it’s because many of our riders no longer have a traditional work schedule. And when we update connections to our region’s fast-growing light rail network this fall and beyond, it will similarly be guided by how you use—and want to use—transit.

Thank you

As we look ahead, I’m grateful for our millions of customers—whether you’re with us every day, ride a few times a week, or take transit to concerts, events and sports. I’m also thankful for our employees—both when they display heroism, such as the Water Taxi crew that protected the Seattle waterfront, and when they quietly serve their community with steadfast commitment day-in and day-out. By all of us working together, we move forward.

Michelle Allison is general manager of King County Metro. The largest transit agency in the northwestern United States, Metro provides bus, paratransit, vanpool, and water taxi, and on-demand services, and operates the Seattle Streetcar, Sound Transit Link light rail and Sound Transit Express bus service.

This article originally appeared in The Seattle Medium.