King County Metro Transit in Seattle Earns Top Honor at 2005 Bus 'Roadeo'

Best Transit Bus Operator, Maintenance Crew and Grand Champion Named

Contacts: Virginia Miller (202) 496-4816 vmiller@apta.com

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Who is the best transit bus operator and best skilled bus mechanic team in North America? King County Metro Transit in Seattle claimed that title by winning the Grand Champion Award at the prestigious 30th International "Bus Roadeo" held in conjunction with the American Public Transportation Association's (APTA) Annual Meeting in Dallas, Texas. This honor, recognizing the men and women who keep North America's bus systems safe, is given to the operator and maintenance team that has the highest score of all bus transit systems in this year's competition. The winners were announced at an awards dinner on Sunday, September 25.

Coming in second place behind King County Metro was the San Mateo County Transit District in San Carlos, California. Third place for the combined operator and bus mechanic team went to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority in Washington, D.C.

The Operator Competition measures professional skills including: driving ability as measured on an obstacle course; knowledge of safety regulations; bus equipment; and personal appearance. Among 40-foot bus operators, the San Francisco Municipal Railway came in first in the Operator Competition. Second place was captured by Houston's Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County and the Jacksonville Transportation Authority in Jacksonville, Florida came in third place.

In the Operator Competition for 35-foot buses, the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority in Austin, Texas won first place. Second place was won by Ben Franklin Transit in Richland, Washington and Clallam Transit in Port Angeles, Washington earned third place.

In the Maintenance Competition, first place went to the King County Metro maintenance team who now have won first place for the third consecutive year. Coast Mountain Bus Company in Vancouver, British Columbia earned a second place finish. Third place went to the Orange County Transportation Authority of Orange, California. Maintainers are judged on their ability to trouble-shoot maintenance problems.

The International Bus Roadeo is designed to encourage excellence and professionalism in bus transit operations. The competition was held September 25 at the Dallas Area Rapid Transit's Arapaho Station in Dallas, Texas.

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APTA is a nonprofit international association of more than 1,500 member organizations including public transportation systems; planning, design, construction and finance firms; product and service providers; academic institutions, and state associations and departments of transportation. APTA members serve the public interest by providing safe, efficient and economical public transportation services and products. Over ninety percent of persons using public transportation in the United States and Canada are served by APTA members.