Iowa Bus Roadeo Winners Announced
AMES, Iowa – June 26, 2013 – Two Iowa transit vehicle operators are headed for national and international level competition by earning top honors in Iowa's 25th Annual Public Transit Roadeo held in Ames on June 22.
- Nathan Shimanek, representing CyRide in Ames, placed first in the small bus competition.
- Paul Klimesh, representing CyRide in Ames, placed first in the large bus competition.
Shimanek and Klimesh will represent the state of Iowa in the respective competitions at the American Public Transit Association’s 39th International Bus Roadeo in May 2014 to be held in Kansas City, Mo.
This year, CyRide in Ames and Iowa State University organized and hosted the roadeo at the Iowa State Center. The annual public transit roadeo is co-sponsored by the Iowa Department of Transportation and Iowa Public Transit Association, with funding under a Federal Transit Administration program.
The roadeo's purpose is to promote the development and provide recognition of safe driving skills by Iowa's public transit vehicle operators. Representing 18 transit systems, 38 competitors demonstrated their skills by performing a series of maneuvers that simulate the actual situations they 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 representatives.
Roadeo rankings include:
Small bus division
First place: Nathan Shimanek, Ames CyRide
Second Place: Jason Lippard, Ames CyRide
Third place: Kurt Mackel-Wiederanders, Des Moines Area Regional Transit (DART)
Large bus division
First place: Paul Klimesh, Ames CyRide
Second Place: Kevin Gries, Ames CyRide
Third place: Cesar Chavez, Des Moines Area Regional Transit (DART)
There are 35 transit agencies in Iowa providing service to all 99 counties. For more information on public transportation in Iowa visit: http://www.iowadot.gov/transit.
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Contact: Ryan Ward, Iowa DOT transit programs administrator at 515-233-7877 or [email protected]