AC Transit wins top honor at APTA bus roadeo

Oakland, Calif.-based AC Transit won the Grand Champion Award at the American Public Transportation Association's 31st International Bus Roadeo, held April 30. The award recognizes the operator and maintenance team that has the highest score of all bus transit systems in the competition. Other winners included first runner-up Orange County Transportation Authority in Orange, Calif. Second runner-up was Delaware Transit Corp. Third runner-up was Oahu Transit Services Inc. in Honolulu. Among the 40-foot bus operators, Matt Chomjak of Snohomish County Public Transportation Benefit Area Corp. in Everett, Wash., placed first in the operator competition. Phillip Patterson from Central Midlands Regional Transit Authority in Columbia, S.C., won first place in the operator competition for 35-foot buses. In the maintenance competition, first place went to the Orlando, Fla.-based LYNX team. Two new events were included in this year's competition. The MCI I/O Controls multiplex trouble-shooting event went to Valley Metro Regional Public Transportation Authority in Phoenix. A demonstration event on pre-trip inspections for operators went to Rendol Whidden at Broward County Transit in Pompano Beach, Fla. This year, a new best customer service award was introduced, with the award going to Patricia Lock of AC Transit. Alex Alban of the Chicago Transit Authority earned second place.