Rebecca Saldaña has championed investments that make transportation safer, as well as more affordable, equitable, and

reliable for both riders and workers. As Vice Chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, Rebecca has helped shape a

transportation vision that prioritizes transit, pedestrian safety, climate responsibility, and strong labor standards—ensuring our

transportation system works for the communities who rely on it every day.

PROTECTING PUBLIC TRANSIT AS A PUBLIC SERVICE

Rebecca believes public transit works best when it is treated as a public good and supported by strong labor standards. She has

consistently opposed efforts to privatize transit systems, which often prioritize short-term cost cutting over service quality,

worker safety, and long-term system reliability. King County Metro’s success is built on:

• A skilled, safe, and experienced union workforce

• Strong labor standards

• Public accountability

• Reliable service for riders

PROTECTING TRANSIT WORKERS & STRENGTHENING LABOR STANDARDS

Rebecca understands that a strong transit system depends on the people who operate and maintain it every day. Transit

workers are essential public servants who keep our region moving, yet many bus drivers increasingly face threats, harassment,

and violence on the job. Rebecca has made clear that transit safety must protect both riders and workers.

Improving Safety for Transit Operators

Rebecca supports a comprehensive approach to improving safety on transit, including:

• Expanding transit safety teams and crisis response personnel on high-incident routes

• Continuing installation of operator safety barriers

• Improving lighting and safety design at stops and transit centers

• Strengthening coordination between transit security and behavioral health responders

• Ensuring operators have access to post-incident counseling and trauma support

• Transit operators should not be expected to manage complex safety or behavioral health situations on their own. Deploying trained personnel helps ensure incidents are addressed safely and appropriately.

Recognizing PTSD as an Occupational Hazard

Rebecca also supports policies recognizing the real trauma transit workers can experience on the job. She has committed to working with ATU 587, King County, and the State Legislature to ensure PTSD is recognized as an occupational disease for workers’ compensation for bus drivers, so workers who experience traumatic incidents receive the support they deserve.

Supporting transit workers is essential not only for worker safety, but also for maintaining reliable transit service and public

confidence in the system.

INVESTING IN TRANSIT INFRASTRUCTURE & REGIONAL MOBILITY

Rebecca has played a key role in advancing major investments that strengthen Washington’s transportation system while

creating family-wage jobs and expanding transit access.

Co-architect of the Move Ahead Washington Transportation Package

Rebecca helped lead passage of Move Ahead Washington, the state’s 16-year transportation investment package, which made

historic investments in transit, rail, ferries, bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, and preservation of existing roads and bridges.

The package prioritized multimodal transportation options that reduce congestion, improve safety, and create thousands of

family-wage jobs across Washington. Key investments included:

• Major funding for public transit systems statewide

• Investments in ferry modernization and reliability

• Expanded bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure

• Bridge preservation and infrastructure repair

• Investments that connect communities harmed by past transportation decisions

EXPANDING TRANSIT ACCESS & AFFORDABILITY

Rebecca has worked to ensure transit remains affordable and accessible to the communities who depend on it most.

Fare-Free Transit for Youth

Rebecca helped pass legislation allowing all youth under 18 to ride public transit for free statewide, including buses, ferries, and

trains. This policy:

• Reduces transportation costs for families

• Helps students access school and after-school programs

• Expands mobility and independence for young people

• Supports long-term transit ridership

Reduced Fares for Low-Income Riders

Rebecca has supported programs that reduce transit fares for low-income riders, ensuring that transit remains an affordable

option for working families.

ADVANCING EQUITABLE TRANSPORTATION INVESTMENTS

Rebecca has prioritized transportation investments that address historic inequities and expand mobility for communities that

have often been left out of transportation planning. Key initiatives she supported include:

Tribal Mobility Grants

Rebecca helped create funding streams to support tribal transit systems, recognizing that tribal communities often face

barriers accessing traditional transportation funding programs.

Reconnecting Communities Program

This program invests in neighborhoods harmed by historic highway construction and transportation decisions by funding

projects that improve safety, connectivity, and access to opportunity.

LOOKING AHEAD: BUILDING A SAFER, STRONGER TRANSIT SYSTEM

Rebecca believes transportation policy should do more than move people—it should expand opportunity, improve safety, and

build a more equitable future for our region. As a member of the King County Council, Rebecca Saldaña will continue fighting

for a transportation system that works for everyone. Her priorities include:

• Expanding reliable bus service across King County

• Improving safety for transit workers and riders

• Investing in pedestrian and bicycle safety

• Supporting transit-oriented housing development

• Ensuring public infrastructure investments create good union jobs

• Strengthening partnerships with transit workers, riders, and communities