The Newsletter of the Wyoming Public Transit Association
2004 Conference Highlights

     The 2004 WYTRANS Conference and Bus Roadeo, held June 24-26 at the Riverton Holiday Inn, provided several training opportunities for drivers, managers, and dispatchers. Almost all of the conference participants went home with a door prize thanks to the generous businesses in Riverton and the hard work of the 2004 Conference Committee.
     The Conference Committee members were Sean Solan and Bert King from WRTA, Emily Howery, Community Entry Services, Linda Burt, Riverton Senior Center, Gloria Bulow, Child Development Services, and Rod Slocum of Big Horn Enterprises in Thermopolis.
     They WYTRANS Board hosted a short reception for Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal on Thursday, June 24. The Governor spoke to conference participants and visited with WYTRANS board members about public transit. The Governor seems very supportive of the services that Wyoming public transit agencies provide in Wyoming.
     Keith Lowry presented “Conflict Resolution and Confrontation Skills” on Friday. Keith is a very dynamic speaker and makes his classes very fun as well as educational. Keith said that people need to be aware of their non-verbal as well as their verbal communication
     Other conference classes included CTAA’s Passenger Service and Safety Certification (PASS), both beginning and recertification classes, and the WYTRANS Safe Driver course. The two-day PASS course covers driver sensitivity, as well as teaching drivers to be more in tune with passenger needs. The Safe Driver course was designed by WYTRANS trainers and is geared for the public transit driver.
     WRTA Passenger ???? Ask Sean Solan spoke to conference participants at lunch on Friday. He praised the outstanding service that WRTA provides to him. Because of his MS he can no longer drive, but he still works full-time as a counselor.
     Supervisors and managers attended a Drug and Alcohol Regulation Update session facilitated by Marge Cole of CATC and Sean Solan of WRTA.
     Carl Kurt of Engraph spoke at lunch on Friday. He sells transit software with GIS applications that can be used for both large and small transit agencies.
     A local band from Riverton, “Packin the Mail” provided entertainment on Friday night after dinner. There was absolutely beautiful weather for the bus roadeo on Saturday. The west parking lot at Central Wyoming College provided a great setting. Some of the bus roadeo judges were even able to get out of the

sun because of some welcome shade from nearby trees. A particular challenge for the roadeo contestants, was the parallel parking station. Each contestant got to parallel park a 45-foot START bus.
     A Driver Escort Competition was also held in conjunction with the roadeo. Eight teams of drivers paired off to load, secure and unload a passenger. Bill and Terry Biggs of CATC won the competition and each received $25. Patricia Harrison
Governor Dave Freudenthal at the 2004 WYTRANS Conference
and Linda Chantrill placed second in the Driver/Escort Competition.

Bert King, left and Brenda Miller, both of WRTA. 		     WYTRANS would like to thank all the conference committee, the conference presenters, the bus vendors who attended the conference, the WYTRANS Trainers, and all the bus roadeo volunteers and judges for helping to make the Conference and Bus Roadeo such a success. From the feedback that was received everyone felt their time was well spent and they enjoyed meeting some new people. Plans are already being made for the 17th Annual 2005 WYTRANS Conference and Bus Roadeo in Casper. 
Faye Nash will be the conference coordinator and CATC will be the host agency. Mark June 23-25 on your 2005 calendar now.
Driver Escort Competition Winners Bill and Terry Biggs with WYTRANS President Sean Solan.
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    Wyoming Transit Express 4 September 2004