“Yesterday’s Metro bus hijacking was horrific and surreal. The individuals who suffered–the victim who was shot and killed, the brave bus driver who steered the bus to safety, and bus riders who escaped the hijacking–all deserve our unwavering support. Nothing matters more than ensuring our clients and employees are safe.
I am heartened to know that the public safety emergency our Metro Board of Directors declared a few months ago has helped Metro expedite the procurement of safety barriers for bus drivers. Metro will be the first in the nation to have those protective barriers installed on its entire bus fleet by the end of December.
We’ve also already started to implement several key ingredients, including a surge of law enforcement officers, requiring fares through our TAP-to-Exit pilot, and weapon detection system pilots. Soon, we will be testing more secure and enhanced faregates and expanding TAP-to-Exit to all end of line rail stations. I’m committed to remaining proactive and focused on offering a safe Metro experience.”