An elevator safety system comprising: a controller; a hoistway safety node arranged at a pit portion of an elevator hoistway, the hoistway safety node being operatively connected to one of a pit safety device and a lower hoistway device arranged at the elevator pit; a first bus linking the hoistway safety node and the controller, the first bus passing communication signals from the hoistway safety node to the controller without passing the communication signals through any intervening nodes prior to reaching the controller; a car node (60, 92) arranged in an elevator car (14, 90), the car node (60, 92) being operatively connected to a car safety device (64, 94) arranged at the elevator car (14, 90); a second bus linking the car node (60, 92) and the controller, the second bus passing communication signals directly from the car node (60, 92) to the controller without passing the communication signals through any intervening nodes prior to reaching the controller; and a propulsion system including a motor configured to shift the elevator car (14, 90) along an elevator hoistway and a brake configured and disposed to stop movement of the elevator car (14, 90) in the hoistway, and a power disconnect operatively connected to the propulsion system; wherein the first bus is linked to the propulsion system through the power disconnect, the hoistway safety node being configured and disposed to signal the power disconnect bypassing the controller to de-activate the propulsion system in the event of a safety event, and/or the second bus is linked to the propulsion system through the power disconnect, the car node (60, 92) being configured and disposed to directly signal the power disconnect bypassing the controller to de-activate the propulsion system in the event of a safety event. a controller; a hoistway safety node arranged at a pit portion of an elevator hoistway, the hoistway safety node being operatively connected to one of a pit safety device and a lower hoistway device arranged at the elevator pit; a first bus linking the hoistway safety node and the controller, the first bus passing communication signals from the hoistway safety node to the controller without passing the communication signals through any intervening nodes prior to reaching the controller; a car node (60, 92) arranged in an elevator car (14, 90), the car node (60, 92) being operatively connected to a car safety device (64, 94) arranged at the elevator car (14, 90); a second bus linking the car node (60, 92) and the controller, the second bus passing communication signals directly from the car node (60, 92) to the controller without passing the communication signals through any intervening nodes prior to reaching the controller; and a propulsion system including a motor configured to shift the elevator car (14, 90) along an elevator hoistway and a brake configured and disposed to stop movement of the elevator car (14, 90) in the hoistway, and a power disconnect operatively connected to the propulsion system; wherein the first bus is linked to the propulsion system through the power disconnect, the hoistway safety node being configured and disposed to signal the power disconnect bypassing the controller to de-activate the propulsion system in the event of a safety event, and/or the second bus is linked to the propulsion system through the power disconnect, the car node (60, 92) being configured and disposed to directly signal the power disconnect bypassing the controller to de-activate the propulsion system in the event of a safety event.