Good to know that all it takes to change a stupid security policy is to wait for someone to be beaten within an inch of their life, THEN change the policy. How about figuring it out AHEAD of time, so the public is protected?

Doesn’t Seattle remember Kristopher Kime (click here, or here), who was murdered in the sight of the Seattle police in 2001? Weren’t we going to learn from that travesty?

The Seattle Times reports (click here):

“The way Metro uses Olympic guards is similar to Sound Transit’s contract with Securitas, whose unarmed guards are paid $16 to $18 an hour to conduct fare enforcement and to patrol transit stations. Sound Transit’s policies, however, anticipate they’ll sometimes intervene:

“When faced with a clear and immediate threat of bodily harm, the Security Officer must always first consider retreating with any other people present to a secure position. When necessary to protect self and others from a clear and immediate threat of bodily harm, a Security Officer must use only the degree of force necessary to repel an attack or threat of an attack.”

Love this statement:

“After several crimes on Portland rail lines — including the beating of a 71-year-old man with a baseball bat at a suburban station — officials doubled the transit police from 28 officers to 58 during 2008-09, and crimes decreased, according to an Oregonian newspaper report.”

Ya think?

Read this article by the Seattle Times and watch this video (click here) provided by KING-TV of a beating in the Seattle bus tunnel.

Then tell us how the outcome will be different if groups of thugs decide to ride the light rail alignments or loiter at stations and behave in this manner.

Choose from the following:

1. The camera will protect me?

2. The “Security Guards” will intervene? (Hmmm, they are directed NOT to).

3. I’m on my own.

4. Tell me why I want to stop using my car, again?

*Understatement Award of the Year:

“The county executive has ordered us to work with the Sheriff’s Office to review the circumstances surrounding this incident and seek advice from other security experts to determine whether we need to change our security protocols.”

Pathetic.

Bus-tunnel attack while guards watched prompts review of Metro security Seattle Times Sound Transit fare-enforcement officers are employed by the private firm Securitas. King County Metro's Transit Police, who are sheriff's deputies, ... and more »

Longtime Bellevue City Councilmember Don Davidson was elected mayor Monday in Bellevue. The city's main issues now are budget and light rail, as Sound Transit makes its final decision on light-rail alignment for the Eastside.

The City of Bellevue has strong new leadership tonight, as the duties of the Mayor were passed to Dr. Don Davidson, a longtime Bellevue Councilman who advocates for fiscal responsibility, a healthy business climate, and protection of Bellevue’s neighborhoods.

Longtime Bellevue Councilman Conrad Lee was also swept in as Deputy Mayor.

Both Councilmen were part of a Bellevue City Council majority that recently refused to raise taxes on Bellevue citizens in the currently depressed economic climate, and who are supportive of a Sound Transit light rail alignment through Bellevue that is intended to serve the region’s commuters, while doing a better job of protecting Bellevue’s businesses, historic resources, parks, wildlife & endangered species, natural resources and neighborhoods.

"Vision Line" Offers Solutions for Seattle's Eastside Rail Corridor Cascadia Prospectus (blog) But it adds another option to a growing list of alternatives for Sound Transit's East Link light rail project. Council member Wallace's "Vision Line" ...

Creative funding to keep the Eastside rail corridor whole Seattle Times To the south, Sound Transit is looking at a Seattle-Bellevue-Redmond light rail line. Redmond is considering a Redmond-to-Woodinville spur and two utilities ...

Yesterday we posted (click here) about the Obama administration’s proposal to have new federal rules governing safety on all subways and light rail alignments due to spotty oversight & enforcement by 27 regional bodies.

Today Sound Transit’s train derails near the ST maintenance facility on an elevated alignment.

HMMM. Perhaps new safety rules & oversight will prove to be a good idea.

In a November 15, 2009 article reprinted by the Seattle Times (by Joe Stephens of the The Washington Post), new safety rules for subway and light rail lines are discussed:

” The Obama administration will propose that the federal government take over safety regulation of the nation’s subway and light-rail systems, responding to what it says is haphazard and ineffective oversight by state agencies“.

USDOT :

“Under the proposal, the U.S. Department of Transportation would do for transit what it does for airlines and Amtrak: Set and enforce federal regulations to ensure that millions of passengers get to their destinations safely. Administration officials said the plan will be presented in coming weeks to Congress; changing the law is subject to its approval.”

Previously Insufficient Funds for Safety Regulation, Oversight, & Enforcement:

“Commuter-rail systems are subject to a long list of federal regulations and are regularly inspected by federal safety monitors.

Safety oversight of light-rail and subway systems, however, is delegated to 27 regional bodies controlled by states. Quality varies widely, as does funding and enforcement power.

With a few exceptions, the agencies tend to be threadbare, averaging less than one staff person per agency, according to federal statistics.

One can only hope that new federal rules will:

1. Lessen the occurrence of light rail at-grade accidents with pedestrians & cars,

2. Lessen the occurrence of light rail train vs. car accidents via improved design standards , and

3. Lessen the occurrence of criminal behavior at light rail stations and on the trains (video cameras aren’t keeping people safe).

If there was a mandate from voters in this year’s Bellevue City Council election, it was a call to re-think East Link routing. The Bellevue City Council in February recommended a line that would run along Bellevue Way Southeast and 112th Avenue Southeast on its way from South Bellevue to downtown. Sound Transit’s board of directors  chose that route as its preferred alternative in May. But voters just appointed a cast of candidates who oppose that option in favor of a route along the abandoned BNSF rail corridor. Conrad Lee and Don Davidson are both incumbents who won re-election, ...