By Victoria Sosa
Intern, Big Picture High School

Every local teenager who rides the bus has a story – often a story that highlights moments where they have felt uncomfortable or even unsafe.

In recent interviews, I heard stories of passengers randomly yelling and picking fights with a 10th grade student on their way home to Des Moines. A different student shared that while on the way to school the bus had to be cleared due to a passenger’s drug use. These stories are symptoms of deep holes in our social safety net, but regardless, can we do better? What are the experiences of young people on public transit?

The transit system is a very important public service. King County Metro averages around 260,000 riders every weekday. In their most recent rider survey, 64% of respondents use Metro to get to school and work at least once a week, and 54% for social events including sporting events. Our community relies on our local metro system. However, Metro is a particularly important public service for youth, as many still don’t have their driver’s license, and rely on transit to get to school. In the same rider survey, Metro reports that 1 in 8 riders are between 16 and 24 years old. 

In my interview I heard about how young people rely on public transit in their daily lives. 

“I rely on the bus because my family only has one car and there is no one to drive me to school, practice or where I need to get.”

It is also more affordable for many minors because they ride the bus for free. King County Metro makes public transit accessible to young people. Many students rely on public transportation to get to and from school because they prefer it or their school does not provide district school buses for older students.

Youth Perspective

How is the experience of public transportation different from a youth perspective? One issue that isn’t talked about enough is the safety and comfortability getting to and from the bus. A high school student shares one issue is around the lack of crosswalks and even sidewalks leading to and around bus stops.

”It’s like playing Crossy Road in real life,” one 12th grade student said. “On top of being unsafe on the bus, waiting for the bus feels unsafe. Stops are often underlit and isolated.” 

This is an even bigger issue at night. According to King County Metro’s 2024 Rider survey, 49% of riders felt dissatisfied with safety conditions while waiting for the bus after dark, and 44% felt dissatisfied with safety conditions on the bus. During the day these numbers improved to only 17% and 23%, respectively. Safety is both important on transit and around transit. 

Transit Tips

Metro provides some common sense guidelines which includes some tips such as be respectful, pay your fare, and wear headphones. In my own research I heard from youth who utilize a variety of strategies on the bus to keep them safe. One student said:

“You get used to feeling unsafe on the bus, but that makes you more vigilant. You learn when to mind your own business or physically move away from someone.”

Other tips I heard were: sit in the front or near an exit, because being close to the bus driver is always helpful. Also be aware of who’s on the bus and of your surroundings. Bus drivers do a good job of managing appropriate expectations for the things they can see and hear near them.

Another tip is to take stock of your environment right when you get on the bus, acknowledging If you feel really unsafe it also can be good to take headphones out. If you truly feel unsafe, just get off the bus. These are some of the street smarts that youth use to keep safe.

See Something, Say Something

Safety on public transportation is not a new issue and has no quick fix, but one key factor is a culture of speaking up if you see something happening. One student who frequently rides the bus shared with me “Often people are too focused on their own life to interview and don’t care about others.” 

Metro also adds: 

“If you see a problem on the bus, tell the driver. Please remember that safety and security problems are treated with higher priority.”

And what, if anything, is being done or should be done to improve it? King County Metro and local governments created a safety task force to support a safer transit system and. The goal of the task force was to convene politicians, police officers, and transit leaders to work together for safer transit. On March 20, 2025 the task force met with the goal of improving transit. The safety improvements they are prioritizing are protecting bus operators, expanding safety presence, increasing night owl operations support, adding resources to downtown Seattle, improving the door to door experience, and making expectations clear. 

In these efforts it will be important to take into account the youth experience on public transportation.

Photos by Melanie Martinez.