RTD employees compete in the 2026 Bus Roadeo
As the sun rose over the eastern plains on Sept. 13, RTD’s District Shops parking lot transformed into a tight, winding obstacle course designed to challenge skills of the most seasoned bus operators the agency has. Cones lined the pavement, hundreds of employees and their families filled the event grounds, and the agency’s best bus operators and mechanics prepared to put their skills to the test at the 2025 RTD Bus Roadeo. However, at the end of the day, only the best of the best would come out victorious, etching their name in history as the best operators, mechanics and service workers throughout the agency.
Click here to watch video of operators and mechanics competing in 2025 Bus Roadeo
The event kicked off with the Service and Cleaning portion of the Bus Roadeo. In the maintenance garage, four service workers raced the clock to find as many planted defects as possible on a bus. With sharp eyes and attention to detail, Service/Vault Puller Mark Buyalski took the title, winning by a margin of 60 points over second place.
Competitors for both the bus operations and maintenance competitions took a written test and passed uniform inspection before taking to the courses. The main bus competition featured a winding course through the District Shops parking lot with 11 obstacles designed to replicate real-world challenges bus operators face daily. Operators drove a 40-foot bus through the course and were scored based on precision and speed. Points were deducted for infractions such as knocking over cones, hitting objects or failing to keep buses within specified boundaries.
In addition to physical challenges, obstacles tested operators’ ability to maneuver through tight spaces and complex situations like hairpin turns — all without hitting a single marker or cone. The final section of the course included crowd-favorite obstacles, where operators had to navigate a slalom-like series of turns and speed through a narrowing corridor of large plastic barrels, before coming to a complete stop.
Meanwhile, paratransit and small bus operators participated in a scaled-down version of the course, with challenges unique to their specific duties, such as safely boarding and securing customers with mobility devices.
In a separate area, maintenance teams went head-to-head in a series of challenges that tested problem-solving and technical skills, such as diagnosing electrical issues, testing brake and air systems and hunting defects in engines and door components. Each challenge a set time limit, making accuracy and speed equally important.
Each top contestant was awarded a custom 2025 Bus Roadeo belt buckle — a gleaming symbol of hard-earned victory.
This year’s winning bus operator was Craig Vasbinder, who successfully reclaimed his 2023 Bus Roadeo title. For the bus maintenance competition, much like Vasbinder, the team of mechanics Ben Carroll, Marcos Carrillo and Dan Jurik also defended their 2024 titles. As a result, Vasbinder, Carroll, Carrillo and Jurik will once again have the chance to represent RTD at the 2026 American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA) International Bus Roadeo, taking place in May in Salt Lake City. The team will compete against some of the largest transit agencies across North America for a shot at bringing the 2026 championship trophy back to Denver.