Seattle, WA – My name is Safiya Ilyas. I’m a first generation Somali American, and the eldest of four. I love the outdoors, and go hiking with friends anytime I find free time. I also love spending time with my family. I just graduated from high school, where I was a Seattle Public Schools Student Board Member, on Congressman Adam Smith’s Youth Council member, a Running Start Student, a barista, and a Fred Hutch intern. It was a busy four years! This summer, I’m doing an internship with Microsoft, and then I’ll be heading to Scripps College in the fall.
While I do have access to a car that I share with my mom, I’ve found Seattle’s public transit to be the best way to get to school. For one, it’s the most affordable option. Seattle’s transit system is free for people under 18, which is a huge incentive to use it over driving. It’s also the fastest option. If I were to take the car, I’d be stuck in traffic, and I’d have to find parking in Capitol Hill, which is impossible. Meanwhile, my bus runs every 5 to 10 minutes and drops me off right in front of my high school and college campuses. It’s just a short 20 minute commute, which I spend listening to music.
Another great thing is that the bus and light rail run late enough to accommodate my evening studying at the library. I am a person who needs to study and do assignments somewhere that isn’t my house. I have younger siblings and they can be very noisy. If I’m home, they’ll ask me for help with things. While I’m happy to be there for them, sometimes I gotta put myself first and do my school work before I can help them. If I didn’t have a public transit option that ran late, I would have to go home instead, and be less focused there. I see other students staying late to study or doing group projects, and I ride the bus home with people who work overtime or who are on their way to night shifts.
My mom needs the car more than me anyways, since she works in South King County, where the buses run less frequently. My cousins also live in South King County, and I often have to hear about their struggles commuting and how it cuts into their learning time, or their ability to get home and study. Some of my cousins go to University of Washington, but don’t live in the dorms, so they have a 2-3 hour commute every day. That’s honestly preposterous. On top of that, they’re pre-med. When I hear that, I just feel really, really bad. It would be really cool to see my mom and cousins have as easy of a commute as I do, and to receive the same accessibility I do.
While I prefer to take public transit over driving, I still have some serious safety concerns. While most rides go by without incident, I’ve been in a few situations where I felt genuinely concerned for my own safety. In one instance, I was able to stand near the driver which brought me some comfort. But that doesn’t solve the larger issue. Transit agencies need to have the resources to address these safety concerns – it shouldn’t have to come down to the driver to intervene or call the police. Women shouldn’t be dealing with harassment on the bus, or at transit stops. I’d appreciate the transit agency doing some work around this.
Another thing I’d like fixed is the bus frequency during rush hour. The train gets really packed with commuters and students in the morning, leaving no seats. Some days it’s fine standing, but my backpack is honestly really heavy, so it’s not always ideal. Last year I had to wear a really heavy full leg brace after an injury which made standing on the crowded bus even harder. I just had to stand for 20 minutes on my own, since I didn’t have the guts to walk up to someone and ask them to move. More frequency would have made the train less crowded, and would have allowed me to sit down.
In general, Seattle transit is great. With some of these improvements, it would be even more pleasant for the people who ride it daily.