Christopher Fogel – Seattle, WA, Security / SEIU Local 6

I’ve lived in Seattle for over 30 years, and I can honestly say that public transit has been a lifeline for me. I came here while in the Navy, stayed because of family, and now I work security at different sites across the region. Some days, I’m in Tacoma. The next, I might be in Everett or Redmond. Without transit, I wouldn’t be able to do my job.

I don’t own a car right now, and even when I did, it wasn’t always affordable. Jobs come and go, and maintaining a vehicle when work isn’t steady can get expensive. Transit lets me take jobs further out without worrying about how I’ll get there. There have been times when I needed to work 30 miles away, and if it weren’t for the buses and trains, I wouldn’t have been able to take those opportunities.

That said, it’s not always easy. In downtown Seattle, transit is frequent, but once you get outside the city—like Kent or Auburn—it’s a different story. Sometimes, there’s only one bus an hour, and if you miss it, you’re stuck waiting for hours or figuring out another way home. I’ve had times when I had to sit at a diner until the early morning just to catch the first bus home. It’s not ideal, but you make it work. I’ve learned to always check the transit routes to make sure I have a reliable way to get to and from a job before accepting it. 

Cost can be another issue. A $3 fare doesn’t sound like much until you ride the bus every day. Monthly passes help, but not everyone can afford them upfront. I’ve had times when I had to choose between paying for a pass or just hoping I had enough for daily rides. For a lot of people, those small costs add up fast.

But at the end of the day, public transit makes life possible for me and so many others. It’s why I can take the jobs I want, get around town, and stay independent. I believe we need to invest more in it—add more routes to outlying areas, offer more late-night routes, and keep fares affordable. I know it won’t happen overnight, but continuing to expand public transit will help future generations. I’m grateful for our current system in the Seattle area, and I hope we keep building on it.

Transit isn’t just about getting around—it’s about giving people access to opportunities. It’s about making sure people can get to work, feed their families, and live their lives without being limited by whether or not they own a car. For me, public transit is everything.