New law snuffs out smoking at Metro bus shelters

Public Health-Seattle & King County, based on a legal review, has concluded that Initiative 901 prohibits smoking in King County Metro Transit bus shelters.  Therefore, in the coming weeks, passengers will see signs going up informing them that smoking is prohibited in Metro shelters and areas within 25 feet of the structures.

The new law, overwhelmingly approved by state voters last November, bans smoking in and around public places or vehicles. In keeping with the new law, Metro will soon begin posting no smoking decals on all 1,750 of its shelters. Those decals will remind the public that smoking is prohibited within 25 feet of the shelters.

Since Metro has long discouraged smoking at shelters and prohibited smoking on buses, it does not believe the new regulation will have a significant impact on facilities or operations.  And, if past conduct is any indication, the agency is confident the vast number of passengers will be respectful of others and not smoke in and around shelters.

Public Health-Seattle & King County has had overwhelming cooperation with the new law so far and is offering resources and support to help smokers quit.

Metro plans to begin posting the no smoking signs in downtown Seattle and expand those efforts to shelters in other parts of the county in the coming weeks.