Welcome
Bus Roadeo Toolkit
Bus Roadeo Toolkit
Welcome and Introduction
Welcome to the Bus Roadeo Toolkit! This online Toolkit and instructional video were developed to help transit agencies, transit associations, non-profit social services agencies, and State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) plan and implement a bus roadeo. A bus roadeo is a driving competition as well as a training and networking opportunity for transit drivers and agency staff. The event is designed to boost morale, strengthen team building, and provide an opportunity for networking with other transit professionals. It also allows participants to showcase their skills while giving transit agencies and State DOTs an opportunity to recognize and honor the expertise of their frontline employees through this event.
Several state roadeo events were used as models in the development of this Toolkit. If you are a small operator and want to conduct a bus roadeo only with your drivers, you can review sections of the Toolkit to determine the information you need for a successful event.
- Welcome and Introduction
- Advisory Group and Project Team Members
- Advisory Group Members
- Project Team Members
- Toolkit Contents
- Work Groups
- Tasks
- Marketing and Recruitment
- Marketing Your Event
- Promote the Purpose and Benefits
- Use Multiple Outreach Channels
- Make it Personal
- Create a Clear, Easy Sign-Up Process
- Build Excitement
- Offer Incentives
- Recognize Volunteers and Participants Publicly
- Tips for Recruiting Participants and Judges
- Sample Marketing and Recruitment Materials
- Sponsorships
- Prizes for Contestants and Winners
- Obtain Equipment
- Registration
- Participant Eligibility Standards
- Develop a Registration Process
- Driver, Judge, and Volunteer Registration Templates
- Registration Fee
- Assign Start Times
- Check In for Judges on the Day of the Event
- Check In for Contestants on the Day of the Event
- The Course
- Reserve Course Location
- Develop Course Specifications
- Obtain Equipment for Obstacles
- Course Set Up
- Guidance on Practice Day Policies
- On-Board Timing
- Weather Delays and Suspension
- Vehicles
- Secure and Inspect Vehicles
- Parameters for Specific Vehicles
- Ensuring the Fairness and Integrity of the Event
- Rules of Conduct
- Judging
- Judge Check In
- Assign Locations
- Judge’s Packet
- Scoring
- Determining the Winner
- Key Evaluation Criteria
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Collecting the Score Sheets
- Compiling the Score
- Grievance Procedures
- Food, Entertainment, and Awards
- Determine Number of Attendees
- Determine Types of Food, Beverages, and Distribution
- Determine Number of Awards
- Obtain Awards
- Plan and Implement Awards Ceremony
- Event Clean-up
- Materials and Supplies
- Technology Considerations
- Electronic Registration Platform
- Drone Footage
- Electronic Scoring Platform
- Guidance on Using Consultants to Plan and Manage Roadeos
- Event Planning and Coordination
- Budget Preparations
- Marketing and Promotion
- Course Design, Setup, and Operations
- Judging, Scoring, and Training
- Day of Event Coordination and Management
- Post-Event Activities
- Developing a Budget
- Other Resources
- Keys to a Successful Roadeo Event
- Roadeo Sample Test with Answers
- Information on Maintenance Roadeos and Tribal Transit Roadeos
- Maintenance Roadeos
- Tribal Transit Roadeos
- Bus Roadeo Basics Video
- National, State, and Tribal Transit Roadeo References
- National Roadeos
- State Roadeos
- Tribal Transit Roadeos
- List of Acronyms
Advisory Group and Project Team Members
National RTAP staff would like to thank the following advisory group and project team members listed below, including current or recent Review Board members, as well as those whose expertise and experience helped shape the development of the 2014 Toolkit and the 2026 update.
Advisory Group Members
- Lee Bigwater, Navajo Nation Transit, Window Rock, AZ
- Michele Brooks, TransAction Associates, Inc., Woburn MA
- John Filippone, Roaring Fork Transportation Authority, Aspen, CO
- Louis Friend, Chickaloon Native Village, Chickaloon, AK
- Dan Harrigan, Arizona DOT
- Chris Kleehammer, Southeast Tennessee Human Resource Agency, Dunlap TN
- Dion Knipp, Operating Above the Standard (OATS) Transit, Columbia, MO
- LaShonda McKinney, Bolivar County Council on Aging, Inc., Cleveland, MS
- Ryan Marshall, Cedar City, Cedar City, UT
- Diana White, Fairfield County Transit System, Winnsboro, SC
- Tracy Young, Arizona DOT
Project Team Members
- Megan Matheny, RLS & Associates, Inc.
- Vicky Warner, RLS & Associates, Inc.
- Russ Parish, RLS & Associates, Inc.
- Julie Schafer, RLS & Associates, Inc.
- Laura Brown, RLS & Associates, Inc.
- Anthony Austin, Hill County Transit District
Toolkit Contents
The Toolkit has been divided into three sections: Work Group, Tasks, and Budget. It also includes a video, “Bus Roadeo Basics,” with footage secured from state roadeos held in Connecticut, Indiana, Mississippi, and Texas, and the national Community Transportation Association of American (CTAA) event. The instructional video can be viewed in its entirety or by segment. It provides details on set up and judging of ten common obstacles, as well as other non-obstacle course elements used to evaluate contestants. For each obstacle presented, you will see the obstacle design, guidance on how to judge the obstacle, and instructions for scoring a contestant. Participants and judges may also find the video helpful for understanding the obstacles and how judging and scoring are performed. In addition, we have created an Excel file that can be used to compile the driver score sheets during a bus roadeo.
To view the topics included in each section of the Toolkit, please refer to the table of contents in the left navigation. If you would like a copy of this Toolkit and/or the “Bus Roadeo Basics” video on a thumb drive, you can order it through the
National RTAP Resource Library or contact us at
resources@nationalrtap.org.
Updated September 28, 2026
A program of the Federal Transit Administration administered by the Neponset Valley TMA
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