Results of 25th annual Iowa Public Transit Roadeo announced

Iowa transit vehicle operator Paul Klimesh is bound for national and international level competitions after earning top honors in two divisions of Iowa's 25th Annual Public Transit Roadeo. The event was held in Waterloo on June 23.

Representing CyRide of Ames, Klimesh placed first in the large bus competition and small bus competition. Because of these rankings, Klimesh qualifies to represent Iowa in the large bus and small bus competitions at the American Public Transit Association's 38

^th

International Bus Roadeo in 2013.

MET transit of Waterloo organized and hosted this year's roadeo at Hawkeye Community College. The annual event is cosponsored by the Iowa Department of Transportation and Iowa Public Transit Association, with funding provided by a Federal Transit Administration program.

The roadeo's purpose is to foster skill development and provide recognition of safe driving skills by Iowa's public transit vehicle operators. Representing 19 transit systems, 39 competitors demonstrated their skills by performing a series of maneuvers that simulate actual situations drivers encounter in the performance of their daily duties. The maneuvers include pulling up to a curb at a bus stop closely flanked by parked cars, making left and right turns in narrow lanes that might be created by parked cars along a route, stopping short of an obstacle, and backing into parking stalls. Judges for the event included volunteer citizens, staff from Iowa's public transit systems, and Iowa DOT representative.

This year's roadeo rankings are as follows.

Small bus division

• First place: Paul Klimesh, Ames CyRide
• Second Place: Kevin Gries, Ames CyRide
• Third place: Meshack Koech, Des Moines DART

Large bus division

• First place: Paul Klimesh, Ames CyRide
• Second Place: Kevin Gries, Ames CyRide
• Third place: Carl Nelson, Iowa City Transit

There are 35 transit agencies in Iowa providing service to all 99 counties. For more information on public transportation in Iowa, visit:

www.iowadot.gov/transit/index.aspx