The International Bus Roadeo is an annual bus driving and bus maintenance competition, or roadeo, hosted by the American Public Transportation Association. ^[1] A grand prize is given to the bus transit system with the highest composite bus operation and bus maintenance score. ^[2] The bus driving competition consists of an obstacle course. ^[3] For the bus maintenance competition, teams of mechanics must locate and fix defects in a number of bus power trains and other systems.

The International Bus Roadeo is the final competition in a system of qualifying roadeos held at the regional, state, and district levels. Bus operators from across North American are represented at the roadeo. ^[4] For instance, the Corpus Christi Regional Transit Authority Roadeo winners go on to a state competition in Waco. ^[5] The winners of each regional or state roadeo go on to represent their region at the international roadeo. ^[6]

The 2016 International Bus Roadeo was held in Charlotte, North Carolina in May. ^[7]

History

The name "roadeo" is derived from the rodeo competition. ^[8] The original roadeos, which began in 1937, ^[8] featured trucks in various categories going through the same obstacles that the bus drivers go through in the current roadeo. ^[9]

The first International Bus Roadeo was held in 1976. ^[10] Regional competitions below the international one have been held since at least 1982. ^[11]

Competition

Each transit system is allowed to compete in the bus operation competition (the "operators' roadeo"), the bus maintenance competition (the "technicians' roadeo"), or both. ^[12]

Pre-trip inspection

On the day before the competition, the bus operators are required to inspect an inspection bus and find eight planted mechanical defects, as well as one planted security-related defect. The mechanical defects can appear in areas such as flooring and seats; the security-related defect may consist of an "abandoned" briefcase or package. ^[12]

Bus operation

Bus operators must drive their buses through a course containing various obstacles while under a strict time limit: ^[12]

• In the serpentine, the bus must be driven in and out of three cones spaced closer together than the length of the bus.
• In the offset street, the bus must complete a simulated "lane change".
• In the rear duals clearance, the bus must carefully drive through a narrowing lane that is only three inches wider than the bus at its end.
• In the right hand turn, the bus must turn right while the near rear tire of the bus passes within six inches of the corner.
• In the customer stop, the bus must stop within inches of a simulated curb.
• In the reverse, the bus must reverse with the rear bumper coming within three feet of a cone behind the bus.
• In the left hand turn, the bus must turn left without hitting any cones placed close to the bus's path.
• In the diminishing clearance obstacle, the clear audience favorite during at least one regional, ^[13] the bus must maintain a minimum speed while driving through a narrowing path outlined by cones.
• In the judgment stop, which is the last obstacle in the course, the bus must stop less than six inches from a cone placed on the finish line.

As drivers negotiate the obstacle course, their buses are equipped with a device that generates a "smoothness of operation" score. ^[12] Awards are given in the thirty-five-foot bus and forty-foot-bus categories. ^[14]

Bus maintenance

Bus maintenance teams usually consist of three employees from a transit system. In the technicians' roadeo, technicians must diagnose and repair various mechanical issues with buses. The roadeo consists of a number of portions: ^[12]

• A written test, with questions on topics such as HVAC, transmission, and brakes;
• A vehicle inspection of a bus with 14 planted defects;
• Two power train events involving inspection of a bus power train with seven planted defects, and correction of a single defect that prevents correct operation of the power train;
• One air brake system event involving inspection of an air brake system with six planted defects;
• One HVAC event involving inspection of a HVAC system with a single planted defect;
• One electrical control system event; and
• One vapor door event, involving inspection of a half-height air door system mockup with seven planted defects.

References