Community Transit expands bus safety and security measures

Community Transit is updating its Rules of Conduct for behavior on the bus and at transit facilities with a goal of ensuring safe and secure rides for customers and employees. 

The agency’s board of directors yesterday took action to support the new rules, which will go into effect on November 1. While there are no substantive changes to the list of prohibited behaviors, the new rules further define how those behaviors will be handled by the agency.

Notable changes to the Rules of Conduct include:

• Assurances that individuals are provided proper notice, an opportunity to comply, and clear information about how to appeal exclusions.
• Allowances for the agency’s embedded social workers to request that an exclusion be suspended for a client they’re actively working with.
• Clarification regarding when warnings, temporary denial of service, or exclusions are appropriate.
• Documentation expectations around enforcement actions to ensure consistent data tracking and analysis across the system.
• Updates to the Exclusion Matrix which ensures enforcement steps are progressive and proportionate. This includes new classification levels for specific offenses.
  

Another notable change is that the Rules of Conduct also apply to the agency’s popular Zip Shuttle services, which now operate in Arlington, Darrington, Lake Stevens, and Lynnwood.

In 2022, Community Transit responded to nationwide concerns that about safety that arose during the pandemic by adopting the Rules of Conduct and investing in a Transit Security Officer (TSO) program that launched in 2023. The agency is on track to have a total of 35 officers by the end of 2025. TSOs have been successful at reducing the number of incidents that require responses by the agency’s Transit Police Unit, a contracted unit of the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office.

“The Rules of Conduct are foundational to Community Transit’s commitment to a culture of safety and security for all employees and customers,” said Community Transit CEO Ric Ilgenfritz. “The revisions are based on learnings from interactions with employees and are in compliance with state and federal laws.”

Community Transit has also enhanced security through establishment of a Security Operations Center (SOC) in July 2024. The SOC is staffed seven days a week from 5 a.m. to midnight, ensuring a strong security presence during operating hours. A new phone number for reporting incidents has been publicized, and soon riders will also have the option to text safety concerns.