ABQ Times

ABQ RIDE hosted a Bus Roadeo event today at the Yale Transit Facility in Albuquerque. The event, which ran from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., was designed to show appreciation for transit workers and their families through various activities.

Bus Roadeos are common in the transit industry and serve as tools for fostering friendly competition, networking, skill development, and safe driving maneuvers. Participants included ABQ RIDE’s mechanics, Sun Van chauffeurs, motorcoach operators, and supervisors who competed in buses and vans. The competition featured an obstacle course with maneuvers such as serpentines, passenger stops, reverse offset street, and diminishing clearance. Competitors were timed and scored by judges to win trophies made by a member of the mechanic team.

“Bringing back the Bus Roadeo gives our hardworking transit professionals a chance to enjoy teambuilding while further developing their skills,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “These fun, competitive events help us with retention and keep our team moving in the right direction.”

Trainer Mark Warren commented on future plans: “This year’s goal is to reintroduce the Bus Roadeo. Next year, we hope to build up to the state and national level competitions as we gather interest, learn the ropes of the competition, and prepare our team for more advanced skills such as taking buses apart and putting them back together on a timer.”

The state-level competition is hosted by the South West Transit Association while nationals are hosted by the American Public Transportation Association.

Training Manager Shaun Gibson highlighted the cultural shift within ABQ RIDE: “Reigniting this event is a great way to show our frontline workers that we’re changing the culture of ABQ RIDE. We are doing everything possible to ensure our workforce provides the best service for Albuquerque.”

During the event, staff enjoyed free food, a live DJ, a bouncy house, a dunk tank featuring directors, face painting activities, and volunteers shuttled food to staff providing city bus and van service.

Transit Deputy Director Bobby Sisneros expressed optimism about future participation: “We’re creating an event our staff won’t want to miss. As we rebuild our staffing levels and return to full bus service, we hope to see a full staff of more than 550 people plus their families at next year’s Bus Roadeo.”

ABQ RIDE services remained unaffected by this event. For inquiries or Sun Van scheduling during regular hours of operation from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., individuals can call 243-RIDE.

More information about regional and national transit associations can be found online. Details about working at ABQ RIDE or hiring incentives are available at ABQRIDE.com.