Hundreds of bus operators admitted to 5280 Safe Driving Club

When RTD’s bus operators arrived at work last week and approached the window at East Metro, Boulder and Platte, many received more than that day’s assignment. Two-thirds were also handed an orange bag signifying membership in the 5280 Safe Driving Club, meaning the recipient had driven for at least one year without a preventable accident.

Bus Operations estimates that 477 of the 730 bus operators voting runs in May are members of the 2024 club, which honors their work through the end of 2023. More than 200 operators have driven accident-free for at least five consecutive years. In 2022, by comparison, a total of 355 operators were admitted to the club.

While RTD has honored safe driving for many years, this is the second year that the agency has branded this process with “5280,” giving thought to achievement starting at a mile high and ascending to specific award levels based on tenure with RTD and number of years without a preventable accident.

All recipients were given a hat, a certificate of achievement and two patches for their uniform. Honorees with five or more years of accident-free driving received a polo. Those with a decade or more received a plaque. Banners displayed at each division include each individual’s name and the award level reached in their driving.

For the first time, mileage was considered this year – and 77 operators who drove at least 100,000 miles without a preventable accident received a jacket.

These hard-earned hats, shirts, patches and jackets can be worn with pride at work. They show colleagues what an operator has achieved – and reassure customers that they are traveling with an individual who has been recognized for safety, said Daniel Seifert, Division Manager at East Metro.

“These awards say that what you’re doing matters,” he said. “Several operators have done this job without preventable accidents for 15, 20, 25 years. It is an achievable goal.”

To drive an entire year or more without a preventable accident is a hard thing to achieve, said Winona Rivera, Assistant Manager at Platte Division. Most people can’t do it over a lifetime in their own vehicle.

“You have to be vigilant and do the right thing, using all five senses to operate that bus safely and securely,” she said. “To do that for many years without an accident, and you’re doing it several hours a day, that’s a huge commitment. Not a lot of people can say they do this. There are so many things that have the potential to go wrong out there. For someone to consistently avoid preventable accidents, it’s worth recognizing.”

Operators receiving awards spoke to the tremendous responsibility they carry to transport customers safely, and they said they approach their work with deep personal and professional pride. East Metro operator DeAnna Osborne, who has nine years of safe driving, enjoys her work because of her customers. “I really love these people,” she said. “I enjoy talking with them and seeing them to their destinations.”

To be a safe driver, Osborne said, “You have to be in a certain mindset. You have to know what these drivers are about to do. You have to expect the most ridiculous thing they can possibly do. Clairvoyant sounds impossible, but it’s kind of like playing football or driving a fast race car – you get the feel of things, and you see what’s happening ahead of you before it’s coming. It is expecting the unexpected. It’s about giving people space. You learn not to be in a hurry, because there isn’t one.”

Platte operator Destiny Gonzales, who has six years of safe driving, said she consciously takes time before starting her day to center herself. “You have to be cautious, you have to read the road ahead, you have to take care of your passengers,” she said. “I go out there and do the best I can. I go slow. There’s no need to be in a hurry.”

As Gonzales’ 15-year-old son learns to drive, she has been pleased to hear him repeat some of the safe driving concepts she learned in her training: reading the road ahead, maintaining an appropriate following distance and leaving yourself an out.

Platte operator David Borrego attributes his eight years of driving without a preventable accident to a focus on defensive driving, staying positive, and learning to let go of difficult moments. Relationships with fellow operators and managers help the day go smoothly and enable a calm outlook, he said.

The award “means a lot,” Borrego said. “It shows recognition for work that I’ve done. You’re doing something positive. You’re helping the community. It’s a collaboration with everybody.”

Route 48 operator Frank Aguirre, based at Platte, holds 19 years of safe driving. He calls the lessons learning in training – to keep adequate driving distance and avoid distractions, for example – instinctive and commonsensical. “I try to do the best I can every day,” he said. “You’ve just got to drive, and you just have to do it as safely as possible.”