The Grand Champion Award recognizes the system with the highest combined bus operator and maintenance team combined score. Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) took second place overall achievement honors, while the team from Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) won third place overall achievement honors.
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"I want to congratulate the winners of the 2013 International Bus Roadeo," said APTA President/CEO Michael Melaniphy. "All the winners are model examples of excellence in the public transportation industry."
In the 40-foot bus competition, which is the ultimate test of a bus operator’s driving skills, Paul Klimesh of Iowa-based Ames Transit Agency was named best driver in North America, beating out 50 other competitors to win first place. Taking second place in the 40-foot bus competition was Daniel R. Schmidt of Ben Franklin Transit in Richland, Wash. Third place was claimed by SEPTA’s Zenon Rinylo.
In the 35-foot bus competition, Gabriel Beliz of Ben Franklin Transit won first place as the best bus operator in North America, beating out seventeen of other competitors. Taking second place was Julian Carranza Jr. of Texas-based Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority, while third place went to the Central Ohio Transit Authority’s Howard Yoder.
Thirty-two teams competed in the Maintenance Competition, which tests mechanics’ abilities to troubleshoot mechanical problems and fix them quickly. SEPTA won first place in the maintenance competition. The team from OCTA earned a second place finish and the team from Metro received third place honors.
Will Webb of Delaware Transit Corp. was the first place winner of the Customer Service Challenge Awards, which was also held at the conference. This competition judges professionalism, customer service skills, and problem-solving creativity.
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Competitors in this year’s Bus Roadeo represented 28 states and three Canadian provinces.
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.
Rolling out in electric yellow and seafoam blue, the first battery-electric buses purchased from GILLIG will begin serving riders in south King County on February 2.
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.
In this edition, we cover recent appointments and announcements at HDR, MCTS, and more, showcasing the individuals helping to shape the future of transportation.
While their comprehensive analysis of bus stops focused on Massachusetts, the researchers are excited about the generalizability of the findings and application to other locations.
CEO Nat Ford’s address offered a look at highlights from 2025, with a focus on the future and the innovative ways the JTA is shaping mobility in Northeast Florida.
