For practically half a century, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority has held a gathering for the general public, family and friends of drivers and mechanics. Generally known as the Bus Roadeo the occasion is an opportunity for the LA Metro to showcase the perfect expertise within the company in a sequence of competitions.
After discovering out the occasion existed final yr, I did a bit on it that caught the eye of LA Metro representatives. They promised to ask me out to the 2024 Bus Roadeo. They saved their promise and my household and I had been invited out to the Bus Roadeo the weekend of October 5.
The occasion is cut up into two principal competitions targeted on bus operators and mechanics. At this yr’s occasion, the mechanics facet of the competitors consisted of 4 principal classes: drive axles, powertrain, HVAC, and air brake board. In every of these classes, mechanic groups should determine and repair an issue inside a type of methods.
With the powertrain occasion as an example, a three-person staff needed to determine a problem in a Cummins diesel engine or with the Allison transmission. Groups can earn a max of 350 factors; 50 factors for every challenge discovered. Issues get extra attention-grabbing if two groups tie: a sudden dying spherical happens through which the quickest staff to get the engine began wins. These occasions happen over a 4 hour interval, however they’re a lot much less public than the remainder of the occasion because the groups work intently contained in the store of the bus service space.
The transportation facet of issues is extra spectacular and attracts essentially the most public consideration. Over 20 seasoned bus operators compete in timed impediment programs that they navigate with the buses. We’re speaking 20 and 30+ years of expertise. These operators showcase their driving know-how by means of 12 programs, every tougher than the final. As an illustration, one a part of the course requires the drivers to carry out a multi-point flip earlier than backing into an area. That is all down in a slim space with no room for error. Any touching or knocking of cones leads to a factors discount in opposition to the motive force.
As soon as drivers run by means of the course, they should make a quick end by means of a pointy flip and a slim pathway of cones earlier than coming to an emergency cease in entrance of a cone with a tennis ball on high of it. The gap from the entrance of the bus to the ball is then measured and brought into consideration when tallying the factors. This final half is a powerful show of simply how good the brakes on these 60,000 pound machines are. Seeing one cease on a dime was nearly surprising.
The bus roadeo isn’t nearly competitions although. Whereas there are winners of the occasion (thought I didn’t get to see who acquired trophies as the warmth of the day acquired the perfect of me), LA Metro makes it an occasion for everybody. Apart from seeing the cool camaraderie and teamwork of Metro drivers cheering one another on, there have been actions for everybody. There was a small automotive present that includes low riders and traditional vehicles (and a random Infiniti Q60 for some cause), actions for teenagers and oldsters, plenty of meals. There have been even issues to rise up shut and private with, like LA Metro’s cellular command middle which they use for emergencies or through the annual Rose parade.
I even acquired to geek out over one one among my favourite buses. There was a mint GMC RTS available for everybody to take a look at, accomplished up in orange, white and pink of the outdated RTD (Fast Transit District).
Some might imagine that it takes a particular sort of individual to willingly attend an occasion like this however the roadeo was greater than only a bus driver showcase. It put the transit company’s dedication to excellence on show in addition to displaying simply how focus, ability and dedication of the folks who ferry hundreds of passengers throughout LA County on a regular basis.
