Procession, memorial service on Jan. 10 for King County Metro Transit Operator Shawn Yim
King County Metro, community members, riders and transit agencies throughout the region will gather Friday, Jan. 10, to celebrate and remember Transit Operator Shawn Yim, who was killed in the line of duty on Dec. 18.
Remembrances begin with a 10 a.m. bus and transit vehicle procession through downtown Seattle followed by an 11 a.m. memorial event hosted by the Amalgamated Transit Union 587 at Lumen Field Event Center (also known as WAMU Theater).
With many Metro staff members attending these events to honor our fallen colleague and friend, there will be a very large number of bus trip cancellations and delays on Friday.
Riders are encouraged toĀ sign up to receive transit alerts for their routes, however some real-time information in trip planning and transit tools, and transit alerts, may not be fully accurate during this period.
We recommend transit riders travel early, allow additional time and consider alternatives in the event of potential service interruptions.
Metro will provide as much bus service as possible. Water taxi routes and Sound Transit Link 1 Line and 2 Line services are expected to operate on regular schedules. Metro pass sales offices plan to provide regular service, while our customer service call center and lost and found services will be temporarily short-staffed while employees attend the memorial.
Procession route through downtown Seattle
A memorial procession of several dozen buses and transit vehicles from Metro and agencies around the region is scheduled to leave the SODO area at 10 a.m. The procession will travel north on Fourth Avenue to Broad Street, Fifth Avenue North, Mercer Street, Sixth Avenue North and then south in the SR 99 tunnel to Lumen Field. No personal vehicles will be included in the procession. Cross-street traffic will be temporarily held as the procession passes. The public is encouraged to allow additional travel time due to temporary traffic delays.
Memorial service at Lumen Fieldās WAMU Theater
A memorial service will be held at the Lumen Field Event Center (also known as WAMU Theater) from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, Jan. 10. Doors open at 9:30 a.m. Lumen Field is located at 800 Occidental Ave. S., Seattle.
We appreciate the many condolences and all the expressions of support shared with us as we continue to mourn Yimās death.
The safety of our riders, employees and community members
Safety continues to be our agencyās top priority. In recent years, Metro has more than doubled the number of transit security officersāfrom 80 to over 170. Weāre hiring more, while simultaneously recruiting for additional Metro Transit Police.
Metro is also redesigning our buses to strengthen the protections in place for our operators. Weāre assessing and improving upon the operator partition that was installed on all buses in 2020 and 2021. And we have two pilot buses featuring different prototypes of cockpit-style doors for the operatorās compartment.
Additionally, we placed an order with a bus manufacturer for four test buses that will feature an ADA-compliant, European-style operator compartment design. This design has similarities to a light rail train, streetcar or subway. We are working with manufacturers to pursue other operator safety features, too.
More broadly, Metro and labor leaders are in active discussions with cities, law enforcement and other regional partners about actions that can be taken to improve the security challenges that exist in the communities and on the streets where Metro provides service.
Thank you.
We appreciate your understanding and patience as we honor Yimās memory.
My condolences to the family, it is a sad thing to hear.
This drop in service was poorly dispersed. And to not update the live bus schedule? Idiotic. Many people use third party apps that pull live data FROM King County Metro. Get better on both driver safety and public announcements, King County. People depend on these services.
Let people pay their respects. It is one day, don’t be so selfish.
People are free to pay their respects. If you actually read my comment, my issue is about King County Metro not communicating properly.
A tragedy and my condolences to the family. But this was not well communicated. I waited 25 minutes for a bus that never showed up on schedule today.
I rode a bus with a driver who was almost in tears because Shawn Yim was one of his very close friends–I wanted to hug him as he expressed his emotions.
This demonstration of support and sympathy is nowhere as inconvenient as the Seahawks victory parade day, when buses on my route were running up to three hours late because of congestion.
WoW! Some people have the biggest balls when posting comments online.
Fact: bus drivers are in harms way daily.
Fact: every crazy person with a chip on their shoulder goes off on bus drivers.
Fact: bus drivers have asked for and needed a safe place to operate a bus.
Fact: metro let the drivers down over and over again due to cost and lack of budget, proven by a thin sheet of plexiglass protecting them.
Fact: drivers are sick of people in jeopardy on a daily basis.
All you haters who blame a police party who also lack empathy…it says more about you.
I feel for those who are not able to call a lyft. Yet bus drivers need to stand up and say no more abuse from people who lack humanity.
Now go get you a nice hot cup of feelings and heal yourselves.
Wow I do have to say death is so much a part of life that we don’t think about it, I’m sure Metro made an announcement prior to the memorial service at WAMU so for the guy complaining you had ample time and you had enough time to come up with an alternative ride or to figure something out Uber friend I’m sure at work you have people that drive in could you not catch a ride that day? Could you not have figured out a different way into work just for the day just for the morning time could you not have taken the time nor impose your responsibility on others it’s not the Metro driver’s responsibility to get you to work on time it’s your responsibility no one else’s and I know for a fact that Metro gave everyone ample time to find an alternative direction or ride into work in the morning during this process and that the routes would turn to normal by the time you were off of work if you worked 8 hours a day I’m sure or nine so why are you complaining and I’m sure you live somewhere on Capitol Hill beacon Hill I am so sure because you’re self entitled I’m sure that you live close enough to your job because you probably take a short bus that you could have rode a bicycle in but you could walked maybe got some exercise so don’t take your responsibility and put it on someone else those buses are not there for you they were not put there for you they were put there by the city as an alternative route to traffic produced and given by the city these are not entitlements you are not entitled to take the bus and take the bus on time that’s from the city thinking of the consumer or the bus rider it is not the bus drivers responsibility to get you somewhere on time they are offering a ride for a fee put on by the city it is not yourself entitlement it is a gift it is a gift and people need to start recognizing these things because the city could take your route and shove it up your ass and tell you we no longer have your number bus anymore then what are you going to do you’re not entitled to that bus ride it was the city that gifted that ride for a fee you are not special yeah we all have to work but we also have enough brains in common sense in her head to know that this was not just a random hey we’re going to close on the January 10th schedule no it was given and it was announced prior to this memorial was going to happen and that if you could find an alternate way
People need to work!!
This kind of service degradation is not acceptable. What a sh*tshow
God forbid people be allowed to mourn. I hope your funeral is on a Tuesday and nobody comes.
Cmon man!!! People need to work. This is bullshit. Iām fucked for today and canāt leave my apartment because judges wonāt prosecute criminals. Carter dies and post off lice closed and inconvenienced. Iām really starting to hate Democrats and the disruptions. Enough of the bullshit!!!! No more after January 20th. Make things work and keep working stop being morons w every situation.
š”
Uh…. Democrats? I guess in your Marvel fantasy world, the post office only closes when a Democrat president dies. And judges don’t ever “prosecute”, hence the reason we have prosecutors. Your lack of an adult education in history and civics, coupled with a limited intelligent use of vocabulary and grammar show just how much thought you (don’t) put into anything. Go MAGA somewhere else “patriot.”
How about you stop being a literal cry baby and figure it out like every other adult is doing today? You reek of entitlement and MAGA mush brain. Itās giving parasite. If youāre so unhappy then you should leave, you will NOT be missed! <3
I hope your funeral is on a work day.
Bus drivers do such important work for the communities they serve. I used to ride the bus to and from work five days a week for years and remember those commutes fondly, thanks to the many bus drivers who ensured I got downtown and back home safely. To see a bus driver killed in this way is so distressing and heart breaking. I’ll stay home tomorrow but will be thinking of Mr Yim and his family.
I rarely ride the bus, but this is so awful. I’m sorry.
My thoughts and heart felt sympathy go out to me yims family and the transit operators who lost a colleague and friend he will be missed he was a wonderful man even though I’ve only ridin his bus the 70 a couple of times he was very pleasant.
Island Transit sends our deepest condolences to all that loved him.
Bus drivers serve their communities every day, getting us to our destinations and back home again. Mr. Kim was one of them. I mourn his loss and send my condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew him.
My thoughts and prayers go out to Mr Yim’s family I know what it feels like to expect your loved one at the end of the night only to learn you never see them again because that faithful night October 3rd 2023 I lost my son who was brutally killed on Metro and not a day goes by that I don’t miss him and wish him here and get angry when nothing has been done and here we go again so my heart truly truly goes out to them and his colleagues but Metro got to do better for your drivers and the community who just there lives and love ones in ur hands weither driving or riding….Broken š
I didnāt know you well but once I met you, our conversations in the morning were always pleasant and friendly. I wondered how you maintained the energy to work that tripper after getting off at 4am. I will miss those morning conversations. RIP YIM!
RIP Mr. Yim