Week of Jun. 16, 2008

Metro’s training staff rolls seven days a week

Training instructor John Reardon, left, teaches two operators how to drive through the newly renovated Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel last summer.

Metro’s training staff oversees all aspects of bus driver training, new equipment qualifications, and retraining. Their activities range from classroom instruction for newly hired bus drivers to training veteran operators on new bus routes and equipment.

"Our instructors have to be up to date on every aspect of operating a bus and customer service,” said Training Supervisor Doug Johnson. “They are committed to making sure all transit operators have the best tools and knowledge to perform their job well."

Between the classroom and on-road sessions, Johnson, his three chiefs, and 21 instructors log hundreds of hours of instruction every month. All of the instructors rise from the bus-driving ranks. Before they can teach anyone else, they must qualify as first-line supervisors. Metro’s “first-liners” serve in four key areas: Training; Base Operations; Service Communications; and Service Quality.

If a first-liner chooses to work in the training unit, they have to go to “school” themselves for six to eight weeks of instruction that includes lessons beyond the nuts-and-bolts of the Metro system.

“Not only do we make sure the instructors know all of Metro’s policies and procedures, but we also teach them how to teach,” said Johnson.

The regular workload is pretty intense, too. Metro trains about three dozen new bus drivers a month due to service expansion and the retirement of older operators. Johnson’s crew manages the four-week intensive training that all new drivers receive, which includes classroom instruction, driving sessions on a closed course, and then driving on the open road with a supervisor but without passengers.

Training Supervisor Doug Johnson

“Our instruction is not just about how to drive a bus,” he said. “Our instructors also teach operators how to interact with the public, their co-workers, and provide service that we can all be proud of.”

Once qualified to carry passengers, drivers are still under the watchful eyes of the training staff. Each new hire receives a refresher course after 30 days on the job, and all bus drivers receive continuing education on a regular basis. In addition, the instructors do annual ride checks with each of the 2,700 bus drivers, and also do checks if the operator has been in an accident or been off work for an extended period of time.

There is also special training for special circumstances, such as when a new route, new transit facility, or new bus type is added to Metro’s system. For example, prior to the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel reopening last September, Johnson’s staff logged more than 3,600 hours training more than 1,500 operators on how to drive through the renovated tunnel.

So, every day of the week, at almost any time, the training staff is at the chalkboard or on the road teaching.

This Saturday, Johnson will volunteer in Metro’s annual “roadeo” competition as a judge. He’ll be there with a stopwatch in hand, but will also have an eye out for former students. After a total of nine years in the training unit, he’s got more than a few out on the road.

“I like attending the roadeo every year,” said Johnson. “You get a chance to see how our work as a training staff is paying off. It’s particularly good when you see someone you personally trained doing well out on the course.”

Metro roadeo and employee car show this weekend The 2007 Metroadeo Metro’s best drivers will go head-to-head this Saturday in the 32nd Annual  "Metroadeo," an event where bus drivers – and a few special guests – compete to see who has the best driving skills. The event will be held Saturday, June 21 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Metro’s Training and Safety Center, 11911 E. Marginal Way S., Tukwila. It is held in conjunction with the yearly King County Employees Auto Show. Both events are open to the public. The annual Metroadeo competition pits bus drivers against their peers on a closed course. Metro winners often go on to compete – very successfully – at the state and national levels. This year there is a new category called “maverick non-operator,” which will feature Metro General Manager Kevin Desmond and other Metro employees who usually spend their time behind the desk instead of behind the wheel. The auto show will feature county employees’ personal vehicles, including antique, classic and special-interest cars, trucks, motorcycles and buses. The auto show runs from 10 a.m.-1 p.m., with awards presented at 1:30 p.m. The car show is sponsored by the Metro Employees Historic Vehicle Association (MEHVA). Featured entertainment for the day is bus driver Esther Hankerson and her band “Destination.”

Lengthy detour for Kent-Black Diamond Road closure The King County Road Services Division will be replacing a culvert underneath Kent-Black Diamond Road south of Covington next week that will result in a lengthy detour for motorists. The road will be closed in the 30000 block from 7 a.m. Monday, June 23 through 4 p.m. Saturday, June 28. Motorists commuting through the area can detour via State Route 18 and the Auburn-Black Diamond Road.

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