King County Metro drug incident reports down 35 percent from 2023 to 2024
Drug incident reports on or near King County Metro decreased by 35 percent from 2023 to 2024. The agency says the positive trend coincides with the reinforcing of expectations of riders and encouraging employees and riders to report incidents.
According to King County Metro, in 2023, there were 1,578 drug-related incidents reported on or near the agency (e.g., buses, bus stops, transit centers, etc.), representing roughly one incident per 49,000 boardings. In 2024, the agency notes there were 1,022 drug-related incidents reported, which represented about one incident per 80,000 boardings.
“More than 300,000 riders take [King County] Metro every weekday because it’s frequent, reliable, safe and clean,” said King County Metro General Manager Michelle Allison. “There is more work to do toward our goal of zero incidents, but this encouraging data—as well as supportive feedback from riders and [King County] Metro employees—show we’re moving in the right direction.”
Guided by in-depth engagement with employees and riders, the agency updated signs on the inside of buses to more effectively communicate the Code of Conduct and to let riders know what to do in an emergency and how to provide non-urgent customer feedback.
The agency says the new signs place renewed focus on clear communications—through larger text, more visuals and translations—and prioritization—by focusing on the parts of the Code of Conduct that riders and transit employees said were most important:
- Pay the right fare.
- Be respectful.
- Wear headphones.
- Do not harass the driver or riders.
- Do not smoke, vape, use drugs, eat or drink alcohol.
- Do not lie down.
The Code of Conduct signs encourage customers to provide non-urgent feedback at King County Metro’s website or by phone. The signs also remind riders that In an emergency on transit or anywhere in King County to call or text 9-1-1.
The agency notes employees are also strongly encouraged to report and do so on paid time as part of their duties. The agency moved to a fully online reporting platform to allow for easier, faster reporting and quicker, tracked follow-ups to resolve incidents.
King County Metro is also participating in the King County Regional Transit Safety Task Force, which consists of advocacy and community groups; behavioral health and alternative response teams; government officials at the city, county and federal level; labor unions; law enforcement; public health and safety representatives; and transit agencies, to tackle the broader community and neighborhood security challenges that affect transit.
