NextStop Blog

Metro Transit is proud to announce that MetroBus Operator Bobby Morris and Metro Mechanics Jamie Kenyon, Ryan Lang and Josh Maloney, are representing Metro Transit and the entire bi-state region at the International Bus Roadeo in Portland, Oregon, April 26 through April 30. The International Bus Roadeo, hosted by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), is an annual competition of bus operation and maintenance disciplines that provide participants with a unique opportunity to engage and test their skills with other transit professionals from across the nation.

The four Metro Transit team members qualified for the International Bus Roadeo by achieving the top scores at a Bus Operator and Mechanic Roadeo hosted by Metro Transit on March 17. Bus operators are evaluated on how effectively they conduct pre-trip inspections to identify defects, followed by a timed test of their driving skills through an obstacle course that includes challenging turns, diminishing clearances and reversing into tight pathways. Bus maintenance teams compete at roadeos in teams of three, and the mechanics are evaluated by a written test, a vehicle inspection to identify planted defects, and diagnosing and correcting defects across powertrain, air brakes, HVAC or electrical systems.

This will be the first International Bus Roadeo competition for the Metro maintenance team. Kenyon, Lang and Maloney all work at the DeBaliviere MetroBus Facility in St. Louis. Morris has spent 33 years behind the wheel as a bus operator at Metro Transit, and this will be his fourth time competing in the International Bus Roadeo. Morris works out of the Illinois MetroBus Facility.