Metro Operator Shortage to End Next Year

Metro plans to operate at pre-covid service levels by Fall 2027. (Zach Heistand)

For most transit agencies in the United States the largest constraint to providing more service is funding. In Seattle, that luckily has not been a constraint in recent years. Instead, our transit agencies have struggled to operate the amount of service voters have funded.

Before the pandemic, King County Metro could not deliver the amount of service Seattle wanted to purchase via the STBD. Labor shortages and limited bus base capacity meant money dedicated for service had to be diverted to capital projects and other programs.

In 2020, hundreds of millions of dollars of lost sales tax and fare revenue forced Metro to significantly downsize to stay above water by cutting service and reducing its workforce. Additionally, the City of Seattle reduced funding for night, evening, and weekend bus service and the fall 2020 service change was done under the assumption that Seattle's Transportation Benefit District funding would lapse (which it did for four months). Coupled with very high turnover, mechanics, parts, and operators were all in short supply for years.

In 2023, Metro signed a new labor agreement that increased wages. Recruiting issues persisted, including poor safety that culminated in the murder of bus operator Shawn Yim in December 2024. Metro has invested in improving safety and since 2023, its rider survey has revealed a significant increase in riders feeling safe at night.

Pre-Pandemic Service Coming Fall 2027

Those investments are finally paying off. Since cutting service in the fall of 2023, Metro has increased service in each of its twice-yearly service changes since. More importantly, according to Metro spokesman Jeff Switzer, our adopted 2026/2027 budget assumes Metro will operate at pre-covid service levels by fall 2027 and we are currently on track to have the workforce to deliver this" (emphasis mine).

Consistent with Metro's Service Recovery Plan, Metro plans to restore Metro-funded service hours that were suspended during the pandemic", Switzer said. In total, Metro-funded service hours are planned to be higher than early 2020 pre-COVID service levels in fall 2027 due to the handful of new investments in place (ex. RapidRide G Line) and planned, and current Seattle Transit Measure investment."

Metro currently employs nearly 2,600 bus operators including 2,300 full-time and 280 part-time operators. This equals roughly 2,480 full-time equivalent (FTEs) operators. In 2025, Metro saw an increase of 150 operators and needs roughly 270 FTEs to restore service to pre-COVID levels.

Other constraints

Before the pandemic, base capacity was a limiting factor in more bus service but Switzer indicated Metro does not anticipate the need for additional base capacity in the near term...Metro's fleet is expected to accommodate all planned service increases through 2026 and 2027, which will bring the agency in line with a full recovery from prepandemic service levels." Metro recently unveiled new battery-electric buses that will operate out of the new Tukwila Base. More importantly, Metro's peaktobase service ratio" (the ratio of peak to off peak service) has moved away from peak service allowing more service hours to be provided throughout the day with the same number of buses.