Driving with Pride: LI Bus Driver Among Best in Nation

L to R: Ronald L. Barnes, First Vice Chair, APTA; Thomas Pearsall, senior manager, Transportation Safety and Training, Long Island Bus; Joseph Piegari, bus operator, Long Island Bus; Neil S. Yellin, president, Long Island Bus; and William W. Millar, president, APTA.

It takes a lot of training and practice to drive a city or suburban bus route. Drivers have to learn how to maneuver long and heavy vehicles through traffic and around corners under conditions that are not always optimal. Entrusted with the well being of thirty or more passengers at a time, they must meet high safety standards set by the public or private agencies they work for. And, Ralph Kramden notwithstanding, drivers must be polite and especially understanding to passengers with route questions.

So it is no small feat to win a “bus roadeo,” a competition that allows the nation’s best drivers to go head-to-head (or front-end to front-end, if you prefer) in a competition sponsored by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA).

It was, then, with a great deal of pride that MTA Long Island Bus operator Joseph Piegari won third place in the 2004 Operators' Competition in the 40-foot bus category, against 79 of the most talented bus operators in North America. Earlier this year Mr. Piegari took top honors in the New York State bus roadeo.

The bus roadeo competition put drivers on a closed course and evaluated various professional skills, including driving ability as measured on an obstacle course; knowledge of safety regulations and bus equipment; and personal appearance.

The 29th International Roadeo — held in conjunction with the annual meeting of APTA in Atlanta in early October — encourages excellence and professionalism in bus transit operations. A total of 114 teams comprised of more than 260 competitors from North America's finest bus transit systems participated in various bus-size categories.

APTA is a nonprofit international association of more than 1,500 member organizations including public transportation systems; planning, design, construction, and finance firms; product and service providers; academic institutions; and state associations and departments of transportation. APTA members serve the public interest by providing safe, efficient, and economical public transportation services and products. Over 90 percent of people using public transportation in the United States and Canada are served by APTA members.