Summary

King County Executive Dow Constantine today congratulated four highly-skilled Metro Transit employees who brought home the gold from the 36th Annual International Bus Roadeo.

Story

King County Executive Dow Constantine today congratulated four highly-skilled Metro Transit employees who brought home the gold from the 36th Annual International Bus Roadeo.

"Our bus operators and mechanics can justifiably be called the best in North America, and this award reflects well upon them all," said Executive Constantine. "Their skills, their training, and their ability to react quickly to challenging situations are put to work every day in service to our customers here in King County."

Metro's team of bus operator Michael Grady and mechanics Ryan Stringfellow, Larry Fitzpatrick, and Arvin Vulliet placed first in the combined competition to win the Grand Champion Award from the American Public Transportation Association (APTA).

"Tuesday was a great night for Metro," said Metro General Manager Kevin Desmond. "This award honors the best in the industry, and demonstrates what skilled people we have working for Metro."

This is the second time Metro has won the Grand Champion Award. In 2005, Grady, Stringfellow and Fitzpatrick also served on the winning team.

Twenty-seven teams competed in the Maintenance Competition, in which mechanics face off in a timed, troubleshooting event that pits them against different parts of a bus that have been intentionally "bugged" with the types of problems vehicle maintenance workers might encounter on the job. For the international competition, the problems are designed to be more difficult than normal to detect and fix.

Metro's teams have consistently done well at local, state, regional, and international competitions. This year, Metro's team took first place in the engine competition, first in the air conditioning, and had a score high enough to finish second overall in the maintenance contest. Stringfellow works at Metro's Atlantic Base, Fitzpatrick is from Bellevue Base, and Vulliet is from North Base.

This year, East Base Operator Grady placed third out of 39 drivers in the 40-foot bus driving competition. In bus roadeos, competitors maneuver coaches through a variety of stations that simulate real-life driving challenges. The international contest is considered the ultimate test of a bus operator's driving skills.

"The 2011 International Bus Roadeo winners are models of excellence as they showcased professionalism and top-notch skills during the competition," said APTA President William Millar. "Their public transit systems and the communities they serve should be very proud that they have the best in North America."

A picture from the award ceremony can be found on King County's Flickr photo stream.