Steve Banta reports on the International Bus Roadeo

TriMet was represented at the 2009 APTA International Bus Roadeo competition held last week in Seattle. Participants took Amtrak to the conference and were able to attend sessions along with their colleagues from other properties.

On the bus maintenance side, Powell mechanics Randy Reusser, Victor Kuss and Brian Zach took 15th place out of 36 teams. One reason they did so well is that they found time to practice for several hours on a new bus engine module and computer diagnostic program, which TriMet doesn’t have. The team scored 300 out of 350 possible points in that event, beating King County Metro and Denver. Training Manager Greg Haley and trainer Scott Mickelson accompanied the team.

Transportation was represented by Karen Asio, a bus operator from Merlo. In the portion of the contest where operators compete on the pre-trip inspection, Karen finished fourth. In the driving portion of the competition, on what our trainers described as a very challenging course, Karen finished 52nd. Karen drove well but lost points on her overall time. In a competition such as this, a matter of seconds separate the contestants. Karen was supported by Assistant Manager Transportation Training Barry Tillson and trainer Jeff Muceus.

Congratulations to them all for their hard work, their achievements and for representing the agency. While the Roadeo will not take place this year, it will return in the future. It is an important event for showcasing the talent of our employees and building community among employees.

JOSEPH ROSE RESPONDS

http://blog.oregonlive.com/commuting/2009/05/my_driving_record_well_here_it.html

JASON MCHUFF FINDS ERRORS IN TRAINING PROGRAM

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ALAN MORGANS MOUTH DESCRIBES THE NEW MALL

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WHATEVER? staring MARY FETSCH+ALAN MORGAN-(my two favorite trimet people!)

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http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4101280286098310645&hl=en