The Roadeo reinforces safe-driving habits and operator professionalism behind the wheel. In total, 18 public transit agencies and 48 drivers competed for points on a written exam, an obstacle course, assisting a passenger with wheelchair securements and a pre-trip vehicle inspection.
CATA CEO/Executive Director Sandy Draggoo and operators Steve Soliz, Kate Gardner and Mike Beech.
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CATA CEO/Executive Director Sandy Draggoo and operators Steve Soliz, Kate Gardner and Mike Beech.
In a competition that tested drivers’ knowledge and skills behind the wheel, Lansing, Mich.’s Capital Area Transportation Authority (CATA) bus operators were awarded top honors. Mike Beech placed first in the individual competition and, along with fellow CATA operators Kate Gardner and Steve Soliz, took first place in the team competition.
“We are very excited, and we are very proud of our operators,” said CATA CEO/Executive Director Sandy Draggoo. “Not only did they do an outstanding job representing our agency in competition, but they do so every day in service to our customers.”
The Roadeo reinforces safe-driving habits and operator professionalism behind the wheel. In total, 18 public transit agencies and 48 drivers competed for points on a written exam, an obstacle course, assisting a passenger with wheelchair securements and a pre-trip vehicle inspection.
“We definitely put a lot of pressure on ourselves in practice,” Beech said. “We called it ‘tough love.’ We were confident going in, and we really wanted to do well.”
Beech advances to the national competition in May 2016 at the Community Transportation Association of America’s National Bus Roadeo in Portland, Ore.
The region’s fixed-route system finished out the year with a total of 373.5 million rides. Adding 12.3 million rides over 2024 represents an increase that is equal to the annual transit ridership of Kansas City.
The service is a flexible, reservation-based transit service designed to close the first- and last-mile gaps and connect riders to employment for just $5 per day.
The upgraded system, which went live earlier this month, supports METRO’s METRONow vision to enhance the customer experience, improve service reliability, and strengthen long-term regional mobility.
The agreement provides competitive wages and reflects strong labor-management collaboration, positive working relationships, and a shared commitment to building a world-class transit system for the community, said RTA CEO Lona Edwards Hankins.
The priorities are outlined in the 2026 Board and CEO Initiatives and Action Plan, which serves as a roadmap to guide the agency’s work throughout the year and ensure continued progress and accountability on voter-approved transportation investments and essential mobility services.
