DART drivers place at the State Bus Roadeo on June 13

Three DART drivers placed at the State Bus Roadeo on Saturday, June 13, which was hosted by the Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority at Southridge Mall in Des Moines:

Kurt Mackel-Wiederanders – 1st Place, 25-foot-bus division
Abay Mengistu – 2nd Place, 40-foot-bus division
Cesar Chavez – 3rd Place, 40-foot-bus division

Kurt Mackel-Wiederanders, who placed 1st in the 25-foot-bus division, will advance to the National Community Transportation Roadeo put on by the Community Transportation Association of America next year in Portland, Oregon. Kurt scored an impressive 719 points, nearly 100 more than the next best competitor.

“It’s great to see our drivers recognized for the skills they demonstrate every day on the job,” said DART General Manager Elizabeth Presutti, who volunteered as a judge on Saturday. “We are happy to have hosted the State Bus Roadeo this year, and very excited to have a DART bus operator compete nationally.”

More than 30 bus drivers from across the state tested their driving skills in the annual State Bus Roadeo this past Saturday.

Navigating a 25- or 40-foot bus through a series of cones, backing into narrow spaces and making sharp turns are a few of the challenges in a bus roadeo. Drivers are scored on time, safety and precision of driving.

The Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority is the public transportation provider that serves Polk County. DART operates a family of transportation services that makes getting around the Greater Des Moines area easier and more convenient. For more information about DART services, schedules, route changes, or directions to the nearest DART stop, visit the website at www.ridedart.com or call 515-283-8100. The MyDART Tools, Trip Planner and RideTime Transit app are now available at www.ridedart.com.