METRO Magazine Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

BART wins top honors at 2019 APTA International Rail Rodeo

The annual event was hosted in Toronoto and aims to encourages excellence and professionalism in rail transit operations. 

July 1, 2019
BART wins top honors at 2019 APTA International Rail Rodeo

APTA members serve the public interest by providing safe, efficient and economical transit services and products.

BART

2 min to read


APTA members serve the public interest by providing safe, efficient and economical transit services and products. BART

The Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) team consisting of Joshua Vining, Justin Strong, Gary Crandall, Steven Dore, and Erroll Luciano, won the prestigious Rail Transit Team Achievement Award at the 27th annual American Public Transportation Association (APTA) International Rail Rodeo.

The Rodeo was held June 21-22 in conjunction with the 2019 APTA Rail Conference in Toronto, ON. The Rail Transit Team Achievement Award is given to the system with the highest rail operator and maintainer team combined score.

Ad Loading...

The over-all second place finisher was the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation (LA Metro) team. Meanwhile third place was won by the Denver Regional Transportation District (RTD) team.

The Operators Competition measures professional skills, including train operation, knowledge of safety regulations, train equipment, and track right-of-way rules and procedures.

Logan Packer and Michelle Smith, on behalf of Utah Transit Authority (Salt Lake City, UT), won first place in the Operators Competition while Joshua Vining and Justin Strong of BART placed second. The team of Earleke Kidd and Eugene Metts of MDOT Maryland Transit Administration (Baltimore, MD) took third-place honors.

In the Maintainers Competition, participants are evaluated on their ability to troubleshoot maintenance problems. The BART team of Gary Crandall, Steven Dore, and Erroll Luciano were named winners in this category. The LA Metro team of Marcos Martinez, Paker Rounds, and Calvin Wong placed second. The RTD maintainer team of Michael Hubbard, Randall Lovegrove, and George Sweeney won third place.

The APTA International Rail Rodeo Competition encourages excellence and professionalism in rail transit operations. This years’ competition included 19 teams of operators and 15 mechanic teams from the United States, Canada, and Japan.

More Rail

Caltrain trains on tracks
Railby StaffMarch 6, 2026

Caltrain Adopts Corridor-Wide Right-of-Way Safety Strategy

Caltrain and its partners have implemented safety improvements at specific locations in response to known risk conditions, operational needs, and available funding since the agency’s founding.

Read More →
A photo of rail tracks in Ottawa, Canada

Building a National Framework for Transit Safety and Consistency

On a recent episode of METROspectives, METRO Magazine’s Executive Editor Alex Roman sat down with Ana-Maria Tomlinson, Director of Strategic & Cross-Sector Programs at the CSA Group, to explore a bold initiative aimed at addressing those challenges: the development of a National Code for Transit and Passenger Rail Systems in Canada.

Read More →
Stairs in a New York rail station with text reading "USDOT Invests $686 Million to Modernize Aging Rail Stations."
Railby StaffMarch 2, 2026

FTA Invests $686M to Modernize Aging Rail Stations

Competitive FTA grants will support accessibility upgrades, family-friendly improvements, and cost-efficient capital projects at some of the nation’s oldest and busiest transit hubs.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
A purple MBTA train at a Mansfield Station platform.
Railby StaffFebruary 27, 2026

MBTA Updates Rail Modernization Plan to Expand Reliability and Accessibility

The strategy outlines near- and long-term upgrades to ease congestion, support housing growth, and advance statewide climate goals.

Read More →
LA Metro underground station with vehicle
Railby StaffFebruary 27, 2026

LA Metro Sets D Line Subway Extension Launch Date

The 3.92-mile addition will soon take riders west beyond its current Wilshire and Western station in Koreatown, continuing under Wilshire Boulevard through neighborhoods and communities including Hancock Park, Windsor Square, the Fairfax District, and Carthay Circle into Beverly Hills.

Read More →
MBTA railcars
Railby StaffFebruary 26, 2026

Boston's MBTA Marks Progress in Regional Rail Modernization

The procurement advances the agency's broader efforts to modernize its rail fleet and position Regional Rail for long-term improvement.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
An Amtrak Acela
Railby StaffFebruary 26, 2026

Amtrak Sets New Course for Long-Distance Fleet Renewal

Under the plan, all long-distance routes will transition to a universal single-level fleet, replacing today’s mix of bi-level and single-level equipment.

Read More →
A TriMet MAX Light Rail vehicle overhead shot
Railby StaffFebruary 24, 2026

STV Finalizes Design for First Phase of TriMet MAX Blue Line Substation Upgrades

The milestone is a significant step toward modernizing the MAX Blue Line’s power infrastructure, one of the oldest components of the region’s light rail system.

Read More →
HDR rendering of LA to Coachella Valley Rail Project
Railby StaffFebruary 20, 2026

HDR Selected to Advance LA–Coachella Valley Rail Corridor Project

The firm will lead the Tier 2 environmental review program for the Coachella Valley Rail Corridor, including the conceptual and preliminary engineering needed to develop project-level environmental clearance.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Rendering of Austin Transit Partnership's light rail line.
Railby StaffFebruary 19, 2026

Contractor Chosen to Help Build Austin Light Rail

The ATP board’s approval of ARC enables ATP to begin pre-construction activities and advance final design for Austin Light Rail under the first phase of what will be a multibillion-dollar contract.

Read More →