(The Center Square) – King County Metro is resuming bus services at a Seattle location that became an increasing public safety concern at the end of 2024.
King County Metro closed bus stops along 12th Avenue South and South Jackson Street in Seattle’s Little Saigon neighborhood on Dec. 16. The department previously told The Center Square that the area was flagged as a safety concern for riders, transit operators and facilities employees.
The flagged area was near where a series of stabbings in the Chinatown-International District occurred over a 36-hour time span before Metro chose to temporarily shut down the four bus stops.
Bus services are returning to the four stations as a result of continuing efforts to improve safety within the area.
This includes Seattle utilizing $9 million from its recent eight-year, $1.55 billion transportation levy for an increased transit security presence in places like the South Jackson Street corridor, as well as Third Avenue in the downtown area.
Bus stop safety conditions were also monitored by Metro operations and police staff for several weeks.
According to Metro, 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.
“We appreciate the around-the-clock support of law enforcement,” King County Metro said in an announcement. “We will continue to monitor this area and coordinate with police and social service providers to maintain reliable operations that support the safety of our transit employees and riders.”
Metro added that it will use data and input from operators and customers to guide decisions and efforts to improve and address security in the future.
Violent crime has been a lingering issue for residents and businesses within the International District. In 2024, there were three homicides, 78 robberies, and 181 cases of aggravated assault, according to the Seattle Police Department’s crime dashboard.
In total, the International District saw 273 reports of violent crime through November.