[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 9328]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               AC TRANSIT VOTED THE ``BEST OF THE BEST''

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. FORTNEY PETE STARK

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 23, 2006

  Mr. STARK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Alameda County 
Transit Agency, AC Transit, headquartered in Oakland, California. For 
the sixth time in 9 years, AC Transit has been recognized as the 
Nation's most outstanding public bus agency at the American Public 
Transportation Association, APTA, meeting in Anaheim, California. At 
its annual ``Bus Roadeo'' in which bus operators and maintenance teams 
demonstrate their driving skills and knowledge, APTA has crowned AC 
Transit's drivers and mechanics as the ``Best of the Best.''
  In addition AC Transit also won first place for its Customer Service 
in a special competition to evaluate bus operators' courtesy, patience 
and know-how.
  The ``Best of the Best'' award came after grueling tests of 
competition involving more than 40 transit agencies with teams of 
drivers and mechanics from virtually every State in the country. 
Drivers were tested on their abilities to smoothly stop and maneuver 
their coaches in and out of tightly constricted spaces, avoiding 
mishaps and pedestrians. Mechanics were tested on their ability to 
quickly troubleshoot vehicle malfunctions by quickly diagnosing 
problems and instituting immediate repairs.
  The competition is the ``Super Bowl'' for transit agencies, offering 
some of the world's top professionals an opportunity to display their 
driving skills, reflexes, judgment and superior workshop intelligence.
  The ``Best of the Best'' designation represents the highest combined 
scores of the operator and maintenance team. AC Transit's team--
operator Jesse DelaCruz and mechanics, Carlos Leyva, Grant Pinkston and 
Donald Righter--was deemed number one in the Nation. AC Transit 
operator Patricia Lock won first place for Customer Service.
  Congratulations to AC Transit on winning this prestigious ``Best of 
the Best'' award.

                          ____________________