Study: WA one of the 10 most dangerous states for public transit safety

Washington qualified as one of the 10 most dangerous states when it comes to public transit, according to a study from John Foy & Associates.

Between 2021 and 2023, Washington had 97 reported violent incidents, including five fatalities and 95 injuries. The study analyzed violent incidents (including bombings, robberies, and non-physical assaults on workers) across all states through data from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

“While you should always stay alert to your surroundings, especially when in an environment with a lot of people, there are places you should be extra mindful of depending on the state you live in or are visiting,” John Foy, attorney and founding partner of John Foy & Associates, said. “In California, Illinois, Washington, and Minnesota, where light rail and commuter trains are a key part of public transit, you should stay alert on platforms and when boarding or exiting trains, especially during rush and off-peak hours.”

Washington was tied for the ninth-most dangerous public transportation system in the country, alongside Arizona, in terms of violent occurrences per 100,000 people. New York ranked the highest with 17.5 incidents per 100,00 people, followed by Illinois, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, California, Maryland, and Texas.

“States with larger urban centers and bigger populations are more reliant on public transport, so it makes sense for them to rank among the ones with the most dangerous public transportation systems,” Foy added. “However, it’s curious to see that Florida, the third most populous state, is out of the top ten ranking (the state placed 13th), while Texas, with the second-largest population, came in eighth, behind less populated states such as Minnesota and Massachusetts.”

Stabbing of King County Metro bus driver

In December 2024, a King County Metro city bus driver, Shawn Yim, was stabbed to death after a passenger got into “a physical altercation” with the 59-year-old driver at the intersection of 15th Avenue Northeast and Northeast 41st Street.

A video of the incident can be seen here, revealing that the stabbing suspect, Richard Sitzlack, started arguing with Yim about closing several windows on the bus. After Yim stopped the bus and shut the windows, Yim asked Sitzlack if he paid the bus fare. Sitzlack told Yim he did and produced a piece of paper from his pocket, however, it is unclear on the video if that paper was an actual bus ticket.

Moments later, Sitzlack is heard attacking Yim verbally and calling him a curse word. Yim stopped the bus again and told Sitzlack to get off the bus. In response, Sitzlack appeared to attack Yim with pepper spray before the two exited the bus. While the video doesn’t show it, police said moments later, Yim was stabbed and died in a nearby parking lot.

King County Council members and members of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), the union that represents King County Metro bus drivers, met in January to discuss potential safety improvements to better protect drivers and riders using public transportation.

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