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DTA Bus Operator Takes 2nd Place and Receives Drivers' Choice Award at Bus Roadeo
July 18, 2017Media Contact:
Heath Hickok
Director of Marketing
218-623-4314
hhickok@duluthtransit.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
DTA Bus Operator Takes 2nd Place and Receives Drivers’ Choice Award at Bus Roadeo
DULUTH, MINNESOTA (July 18, 2017) – Bus Operators from across the state showed-off their safe and professional driving abilities at the 30th Annual Minnesota State Bus Roadeo last Saturday, July 15, 2017, in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. The event was hosted by Transit Alternatives.
Duluth Transit Authority (DTA) bus operator Paul Mattson from Hermantown placed Second in the Large Bus Division Competition. He also received the 2017 Duane Duner Memorial – Drivers’ Choice Award. In six years of competition, Mattson has placed both Third and Second twice and was the 1st Place Champion in 2014. The DTA will host the 31st Annual Minnesota State Bus Roadeo in 2018 in the parking lot of Lake Superior College.
The Roadeo features bus operators coming together from public transit systems across Minnesota to compete in a series of twelve obstacles that challenge their safety knowledge and driving skills. The event is coordinated by the Minnesota Public Transit Association (MPTA) who works in conjunction with the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT). A maximum of 50 points is possible at each obstacle with volunteer judges working in pairs at each to manage the scoring sheets accordingly. Official scores for both the Large and Small Bus Division Competitions are listed below.
Top honors in the Large Bus Division competition went to David Palm, representing Metro Transit in the Twin Cities, who had a score of 555. The DTA’s Paul Mattson earned the Second-Place title with a score of 533. Third Place honors went to another Metro Transit bus operator, Douglas John, who had a score of 518. There were eleven competitors in the Large Bus Division.
First Place in the Small-Bus Division competition was earned by Todd DeZurik from St. Cloud Metro Bus with a score of 558. In Second Place, was David Peacock also from St. Cloud Metro Bus with a score of 521. Third Place was Glenn Zimmel from Tri-Cap Transit with a score of 488. There were 27 competitors in the Small Bus Division.
Official Results will soon be posted on the Minnesota Public Transit Association’s (MPTA) website. Please visit www.MPTA-Transit.org for details.
If you would like more information on this press release or to schedule an interview with DTA General Manager, Dennis Jensen, please contact DTA Director of Marketing, Heath Hickok, at218-623-4314.
The DTA’s mission is to provide a public transit service that is safe, convenient, efficient and affordable. It has been providing reliable service to the Duluth area for more than 131 years. The DTA has over 150 employees and 66 buses that provide service throughout the Twin Ports. The DTA Operating Center is located at 2402 West Michigan Street, Duluth, MN 55806 and the new Duluth Transportation Center (DTC) is located at 228 West Michigan Street, Duluth, MN 55802.
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