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, 博尔德和普拉特, 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.

第一次, 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, 丹尼尔·塞弗特说, 东地铁的部门经理.

“These awards say that what you’re doing matters,” 他说. “Several operators have done this job without preventable accidents for 15, 20, 25 years. 这是一个可以实现的目标.”

To drive an entire year or more without a preventable accident is a hard thing to achieve, 薇诺娜·里维拉说, 普拉特部门的副经理. 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,”她说。. “To do that for many years without an accident, and you’re doing it several hours a day, 这是一个巨大的承诺. 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. 东地铁运营商迪安娜·奥斯本说, 谁有九年的安全驾驶经验, enjoys her work because of her customers. “我真的很喜欢这些人，”她说. “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. 千里眼听起来不可能, 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. 它是在期待意想不到的事情. 这是关于给人们空间. You learn not to be in a hurry, because there isn’t one.”

车牌操作员德斯特妮·冈萨雷斯, 谁有六年的安全驾驶经验, said she consciously takes time before starting her day to center herself. “你必须谨慎, 你必须看清前方的道路, you have to take care of your passengers,”她说。. “我走出去，尽我所能做到最好. 我走得很慢. 没必要这么着急.”

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, 保持积极, and learning to let go of difficult moments. Relationships with fellow operators and managers help the day go smoothly and enable a calm outlook, 他说.

博雷戈说，这个奖项“意义重大”. “It shows recognition for work that I’ve done. 你在做一些积极的事情. 你是在帮助社区. 这是与所有人的合作.”

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,” 他说. “You’ve just got to drive, and you just have to do it as safely as possible.”