Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro) won the prestigious Rail Transit Team Achievement Award at the 24th annual American Public Transportation Association (APTA) International Rail Rodeo held in conjunction with the 2016 APTA Rail Conference in Phoenix.

The Rail Transit Team Achievement Award is given to the system with the highest rail operator and maintainer team combined score. The winning team members are Saul Sanchez, David Wilson, Ezequiel Garcia, Marcos Martinez and Rafaele Mastrangelo Jr.

"Those who operate and maintain our rail systems strive to make these systems among the safest and convenient forms of transportation in the world," said APTA Acting President/CEO Richard White. "I am so appreciative of the work all our competitors put into being the best public transportation providers they can be."

The Operators Competition measures professional skills, including train operation, knowledge of safety regulations, train equipment, and track right-of-way rules and procedures. Narciso Garcia and Robert Dennis, on behalf of Denver’s Regional Transit District, won first place in the Operators Competition while Harsvinder Dhaliwal and Kuljinder Bath of the San Jose, Calif.’s Santa Clara Transportation Authority placed second, with LA Metro’s team of Saul Sanchez and David Wilson taking third-place honors.

In the Maintainers Competition, participants are evaluated on their ability to troubleshoot maintenance problems. Oakland, Calif.’s Bay Area Rapid Transit team of Gary Crandell, Andre Trujillo and Darrell Johnson were named winners in this category. Va.-based Hampton Roads Transit’s team of Christopher Mertz, Robert Johnson and Joseph Atkins placed second, with LA Metro’s team of Ezequiel Garcia, Marcos Martinez and Rafaele Mastrangelo, Jr. taking third.

The APTA International Rail Rodeo Competition encourages excellence and professionalism in rail transit operations. This years' competition included 21 teams with 42 rail operators and 51 mechanics from the U.S., Canada and Japan. The competition was held at the Valley Metro Operation and Maintenance Center.