ARNOLDS PARK, Iowa, July 2, 2018 – Two Iowa transit vehicle operators are headed for national and international competition by earning top honors in Iowa’s 32nd Annual Public Transit Roadeo held in Arnolds Park on Saturday, June 23,
- Conner Friedrichsen, representing CyRide in Ames, placed first in the small bus competition.
- Cesar Chavez, representing DART in Des Moines, placed first in the large bus competition.
Friedrichsen will represent the state of Iowa at the Community Transportation Association of America Bus Roadeo to be held in June 2019 in Palm Springs, California and Chavez will represent the state of Iowa at the American Public Transit Association’s 44th International Bus Roadeo in May 2019 in Louisville, Kentucky.
This year, RIDES public transit based in Spencer organized and hosted the roadeo. The annual public transit roadeo is co-sponsored by the Iowa Department of Transportation and Iowa Public Transit Association, with funding under a Federal Transit Administration program.
Roadeo rankings include:
Small bus division
First place: Conner Friedrichsen, CyRide, Ames
Second Place: Jean Dalsing, Region 8 RTA, Dubuque
Third place: George Gorsz, Region 1 EARL Transit, Decorah
Large bus division
First place: Cesar Chavez, DART, Des Moines
Second Place: Paul Klimesh, CyRide, Ames
Third place: Andrew Smith, CyRide, Ames
The roadeo’s purpose is to promote the development and provide recognition of safe driving skills by Iowa’s public transit vehicle operators. Twenty-four competitors from transit systems across Iowa demonstrated their skills by performing a series of maneuvers that simulate the actual situations they encounter in the performance of their daily duties. The maneuvers include pulling up to a curb at a bus stop closely flanked by parked cars, making left and right turns in narrow lanes that might be created by parked cars along a route, driving through two rows of barrels with only inches on either side of the bus, and backing into parking stalls. Judges for the event included volunteer citizens, staff from Iowa’s public transit systems, and Iowa DOT Office of Public Transit representatives.
There are 35 transit agencies in Iowa providing service to every county and community in the state. For more information on public transportation in Iowa visit: https://www.iowadot.gov/transit/index.aspx
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Contact: Ryan Ward, Iowa DOT transit programs administrator at 515-233-7877 or ryan.ward@iowadot.us
Source: iowa DMV