King County Metro has announced a substantial number of bus trip cancellations and delays on Friday, Jan. 10, as many employees attend the procession and memorial for Transit Operator Shawn Yim, who tragically lost his life in the line of duty on Dec. 18.
Community members, riders, and transit agencies throughout the region will come together to celebrate and remember Yim's life and service. The remembrances will start with a bus and transit vehicle procession at 10 a.m. through downtown Seattle, followed by a memorial event at 11 a.m. hosted by the Amalgamated Transit Union 587 at the Lumen Field Event Center, also known as the WAMU Theater.
With many Metro staff members attending these events to honor their fallen colleague and friend, Metro warns of significant bus trip cancellations and delays, particularly impacting services such as the H Line, and the C Line. In light of this, Metro encourages bus riders to seek out more frequent routes or make alternate travel plans.
Riders are also advised to sign up for transit alerts specific to their routes. However, it’s important to note that some real-time information provided by trip planning and transit tools may not be fully accurate during this period. Riders are recommended to travel early, allow additional time, and consider alternative transportation options to account for potential service interruptions.
Metro assures the public that they will provide as much bus service as possible. Water taxi routes and Sound Transit Link 1 Line and 2 Line services are expected to operate on their regular schedules. Meanwhile, Metro pass sales offices will continue with regular operations, though the customer service call center and lost and found services will experience temporary staffing shortages as employees attend the memorial.
For further updates and real-time information, Metro riders are encouraged to remain vigilant and plan their journeys accordingly during this period of remembrance and tribute to Transit Operator Shawn Yim.
A memorial procession of several dozen buses and transit vehicles from Metro and agencies around the region is scheduled to leave the SODO area at 10 a.m. The procession will travel north on Fourth Avenue to Broad Street, Fifth Avenue North, Mercer Street, Sixth Avenue North and then south in the SR 99 tunnel to Lumen Field. No personal vehicles will be included in the procession. Cross-street traffic will be temporarily held as the procession passes. The public is encouraged to allow additional travel time due to temporary traffic delays.
Memorial service at Lumen Field’s WAMU Theater
A memorial service will be held at the Lumen Field Event Center (also known as WAMU Theater) from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, Jan. 10. Doors open at 9:30 a.m. Lumen Field is located at 800 Occidental Ave. S., Seattle.
