Seattle bus operator cuts routes due to staff shortage

Seattle’s King County Metro Transit has suspended six bus lines due to a shortage of drivers, maintenance teams and supplies.

The routes, which are peak-only commuter lines, did not operate from June 12-16 and won’t operate from June 20-23.

In addition, some weekday trips on 16 other routes have been scrapped from June 12 to September 1.

Jeff Switzer, King County Metro’s spokesperson, told Cities Today the agency was experiencing similar workforce challenges to those that are “well-documented across many industries”.

“At the same time, we have found that we have good demand and interest in people wanting to [join] and we are working to train and hire qualified bus drivers,” he said.

“Recruiting and hiring transit mechanics continues to be a work in progress – for both careers, we are switching gears to better entice new generations of workers, as well as recruit military veterans.

“We are improving our training pipeline so we can recruit, train and hire more effectively.”

Metro had initially announced a one-week suspension of services for the six peak-time routes, but on 1 June decided to add another week to give transit workers more time to prepare fleets and schedules for returning to normal by late June.

The routes generally serve corridors where other buses are available nearby, Metro said, with alternative travel options listed online.

Driver pay

Bus drivers with King County Metro earn a training wage of US$19.49 per hour and, upon successful completion of training, a starting wage of US$26.57.

The agency says this pay range goes to US$37.96 per hour, depending on seniority, while mechanics earn between US$39.11 and US$42.04 per hour.

But given Seattle’s high cost of living, the pay is not enough, according to the union representing  drivers.

“Ultimately, the compensation package needs to go up because people aren’t applying for the jobs,” Cory Rigtrup, Vice President, Amalgamated Transit Union Local 587, told the Seattle Times.

King County Metro also lacks incentives such as signing bonuses, which are offered by neighbouring transit agencies.

Snohomish County’s Community Transit offers a US$5,000 sign-up bonus, while Kitsap Transit offers US$7,000.

Metro carried 6.3 million riders in April 2023, which is 58 percent of April 2019’s pre-pandemic ridership, according to the National Transit Database.

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