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San Mateo County CA: SamTrans Roadeo Winners Heading to International Competition Next Year
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SamTrans Roadeo Winners Heading to International Competition Next Year
*Release has been updated to note that SamTrans operator Gary Johnson, not Edwin Freeman, won the International Roadeo competition. Johnson won in 1990.
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Four SamTrans employees will represent the agency at an international skills competition next year as a result of their victories in the SamTrans Bus Roadeo, held on August 30.
A friendly contest among colleagues, the SamTrans roadeo featured a bus driving course, where participants showed off their skills by navigating vehicles through narrow pathways while also performing technically difficult maneuvering and parking exercises. The roadeo also included a maintenance competition, which pitted three-man teams of mechanics responsible for diagnosing and solving a series of simulated vehicle problems.
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SamTrans operator Rodrigo Eguilos captured the driving competition, while the team of Ryan Plante, Bruce Jenson and Gabriel Kozlosky took home the top prize in the maintenance contest.
As a result of their victories, those employees qualified for the International Bus Roadeo Competition, to be held in Charlotte, North Carolina from May 13 – 17, 2016. Hosted by the American Public Transportation Association, an advocacy organization, the international roadeo showcases bus operators and mechanics from agencies across North America.
The quartet of winners will look to repeat the past successes of SamTrans employees at the international competition. In 1992, operator Ed Freeman finished first in the bus driving competition, and SamTrans’ maintenance teams racked up three straight top-10 finishes last decade.
The bus roadeo hosted by SamTrans on August 30 was the first such event in seven years. The roadeo was temporarily suspended after the 2008 event, due to the economic recession and the long, slow national recovery. With the economy showing increasing strength, SamTrans’ union and management collaborated to bring back the event.
Along with the maintenance and driving competitions, the SamTrans Bus Roadeo featured plenty of family-friendly activities, food prepared by agency employees and a raffle with assorted prizes. More than 400 attended the roadeo, which was held at the SamTrans North Base facility in South San Francisco.
Media Contact: Will Reisman, 650.508.7704
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About SamTrans: SamTrans operates 76 routes throughout San Mateo County. Funded in part by a half-cent sales tax, the San Mateo County Transit District also provides administrative support for Caltrain and the San Mateo County Transportation Authority. SamTrans has provided bus service to San Mateo County customers since 1976.
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Robert Riechel
For San Bruno Patch
Photo Credit: San Bruno Patch Archives
Source Credit: San Mateo County CA Transit District
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