2019 Florida Triple Crown Bus Roadeo

On April 5-6, Florida’s best technicians and operators participated in the 2019 Florida Triple Crown Bus Roadeo in Jacksonville, Florida. The 2019 Florida Triple Crown Roadeo once again combined the FPTA and RTAP roadeos into a single, colossal weekend honoring all of Florida’s maintenance technicians, paratransit and fixed route operators. Over 300 competitors, judges, sponsors, guests and dignitaries participated in the two day event.

The year’s event was a joint effort of the Florida Public Transportation Association (FPTA), the Florida Rural Transit Assistance Program (RTAP), the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), and the Florida Association of Coordinated Transit Systems (FACTS), and hosted by the JTA.

There were training opportunities for the participants. Then the bus operator participant’s skills were tested with a written test and the on-course competition. The maintenance technicians faced similar challenges with a written test and a series of diagnostic tests.

As always, the event concluded with an Awards Banquet that crowned and recognized the 2019 champions in the paratransit van and cutaway divisions, the fixed route bus division, the individual paratransit maintenance technician, and the maintenance technician’s team competition.

Paratransit Maintenance – Individual Awards

• Highest Written Test Score: Sherman Polydore, JTA
• Highest Bus Inspection Score: William Hernandez, Big Bend Transit
• Highest A/C Module Score: Phillip Kelly, StarMetro
• Highest Wheelchair Lift Module Score: Angel Melendez, LYNX

Fixed Route Maintenance Team – Individual Awards

• Highest Written Test Score: Miami-Dade DTPW – Richard Rodriguez, Robert Vesco, Alejandro Victoria-Mateo, DTPW
• Highest Bus Inspection Score: LYNX – Christopher Balroop, Bill Kirkland, Harryram Mootoo
• Highest Cummins Engine Module Score: JTA – Richard Ballard, Tommy Crews, Michael Paskanik
• Highest Air Brake Board Module Score: JTA – Richard Ballard, Tommy Crews, Michael Paskanik
• Highest I/O Controls Module Score: JTA – Richard Ballard, Tommy Crews, Michael Paskanik
• Highest Vapor Door Module Score: JTA – Richard Ballard, Tommy Crews, Michael Paskanik
• Highest Thermo King A/C Module Score: JTA – Richard Ballard, Tommy Crews, Michael Paskanik

Paratransit Maintenance – Individual Awards

• Highest Written Test Score: Sherman Polydore, JTA
• Highest Bus Inspection Score: Angel Melendez, MV Transportation
• Highest A/C Module Score: Sherman Polydore, JTA
• Highest Wheelchair Lift Module Score: William Hernandez, Big Bend Transit

Fixed Route Maintenance Team – Individual Awards

• Highest Written Test Score: Manatee – Fred Jaekel, Daniel Mersch, Michael Ruth
• Highest Bus Inspection Score: Votran – John Foderaro, Scott Groth, Jim Manaru
• Highest Cummins Engine Model Score: JTA – Bill Lovelady, George McGarry, Rudy Wells
• Highest Air Brake Board Module: LYNX – Christopher Balroop, Harryram Mootoo, Radu Solomon
• Highest I/O Controls Module: LYNX – Christopher Balroop, Harryram Mootoo, Radu Solomon
• Highest Vapor Door Module: PSTA – Bobby Farris, Tyler Johnson, Paul Levesque
• Highest Thermo King A/C Module: Votran – John Foderaro, Scott Groth, Jim Manaru

This event tests the participant’s ability to judge the position and speed of their vehicle. The participant must drive the vehicle through a tapered lane outlined by barrels. The vehicle must enter the tapered lane at a speed greater than three (3) miles mph but not exceed five (5) mph. If the participant exceeds five (5) mph they will receive a zero (0) for this event.

Diminishing Clearance

During the Forward Offset Street, the participant is required to drive through two separate narrow lanes that are offset one full lane width from each other. The full value of the Off-Set Street obstacle (50 points) will be deducted for any reverse movement intentionally made in an attempt to better negotiate the obstacle other than in the manner intended, in order to avoid touching any of the course markers.

Offset

Fifteen (15) equipment related defects are planted on or in a bus that would make a bus operationally unready. Defects are of a type that a technician might find during a minor maintenance inspection, including items listed in F.A.C. 14-90. Defects will be those that do not require the bus to be started or require the contestants to crawl under the bus. Teams will not be allowed to have a checklist of defects to refer to during the competition. Eligible defects could include broken, loose, bad, missing, or incorrect: seats, all type of lights, all windows, stanchions, flooring, destination sign, door engine, fire extinguisher, windshield, wipers, run block numbers, mirrors, license plate, bell chord and/or dipsticks. Ineligible defects include defects under the bus, exterior body damage, paint problems, fluid leaks such as oil, water, fuel, etc., will not be considered as defects. Equipment where multiple defects are possible will be counted only once (i.e., seats, windows, and lights). A general location must be given and must identify multiple equipment defects (i.e., left side #1 window, right-front-side directional light). Front and rear windows, headlights, taillights, brake lights, mirror, and turn signals, will each count as separate defects.

Pre-Trip Inspection

This event measures a participant’s ability to properly align the vehicle. The vehicle must be driven so that the right tires pass through a lane that is slightly wider than the tires and progressively narrows. The lane is marked by tennis balls that are flattened on one side.

Rear Dual Clearance

The Serpentine measures the participant’s ability to negoitiate a series of tight turns. The participant is required to enter the course, weave in and out through three (3) cones, and exit the obstacle. The vehicle is not permitted to touch any portion of any cone.

Serpentine

The Right & Left Reverses test the participant’s ability to back the vehicle into a confined area. The vehicle must be backed to the right/left around a course marker into a narrow lane, and be stopped within 36” of a cone directly behind the vehicle. The vehicle must not touch the cones marking the sides of the lane, the marking lanes, or the rear cone. This obstacle measures the participant’s use of mirrors and depth perception. Ten (10) points will be deducted for each shift into reverse at any event other than the initial reverse shift allowed at either Reverse obstacle. Blow horn, turn on four-way flashers, shift into reverse, back in, stop, shift to neutral, blow horn two times, and open the door. Time stops when the bus stops and starts when the bus moves. The judge will take measurements when the horn blows and will indicate to the participant when the measurements are completed.

Right Hand Reverse | Left Hand Reverse

The left turn event measures the participant’s ability to negotiate a tight left turn. The participant must turn the vehicle through a 90 degree turn and not touch any of the cones outlining the turn, even though some of the cones will be out of sight during the turn.

Left Hand Turn

The participant must make a passenger stop at a location approximately two (2) vehicle lengths long. The stop must be made without the vehicle or tires  touching any cones (simulating parked vehicles) or the curb, simulated by 4×4’s. The front tire on the vehicle should be 6” or less from the curb, and the rear tire should be 15” or less from the curb. Once the vehicle stops, the judges will measure the distance from the tires to the curb. There are two (2) passenger stops on the fixed route course. When approaching, turn on the signals or the flashers, make the required ADA Stop announcement, pull in, blow horn two times, and open the door. Time stops when the bus stops and starts when the bus moves. Judges will take measurements when horn blows and indicate to the participant when the measurements are completed.

Passenger Stop

The right turn event measures the participant’s ability to negotiate a tight 90 degree right turn. The corner is marked with a pivot cone and rear tire of the vehicle must pass within 6” of the corner. To measure this, a line is marked out at 45 degrees from the corner and divided into 6” increments. The judge must see which increment the outside edge of the right rear tire passes over in order to score the participant.

Right Turn