Hundreds of bus operators recognized in RTD's 5280 Safe Driving Program
RTD is recognizing 436 bus operators who maintained accident-free driving and avoided preventable incidents in 2024 as part of its 5280 Safe Driving Program. This year, 12 of the bus operators honored with the recognition have maintained their accident-free driving record for 20 years or more, with the most tenured, Jaime Corona Contreras, having been an operator for 26 years. Sixty operators who achieved the recognition drove over 100,000 miles last year transporting customers within the agency’s district; and 188 operators have maintained accident-free records for five consecutive years. RTD launched the 5280 Program in 2021 to commend its operators for keeping transit safe for customers who rely on RTD services to make connections.
The key to a longstanding safe driving record for Mebrahtu Tsegaye, a bus operator with RTD for 24 years, is to “put yourself in the passenger’s shoes and be patient and respectful.” He added, “One valuable lesson I've learned is the importance of patience. It's had a profoundly positive impact on me, as I wasn't always a patient person before.”
Traveling by public transit is 10 times safer per mile than driving or riding in a personal vehicle. The increased safety on a bus or train is due to professional drivers, well-maintained infrastructure, and lower crash rates.
According to the American Public Transportation Association, riding in a bus or train reduces the risk of a traffic-related injury or fatality by 90%, as compared to driving a single-occupancy vehicle.Transit use also leads to safer streets overall, as cities with higher ridership experience fewer car crashes per capita.
The 12 operators with 20 years or more experience with RTD who have are members of this year’s 5280 Safe Driving Program RTD are:
Bus operator and years of service
- Jaime Corona Contreras, 26 years
- Nadir Boumghar, 24 years
- Marco Aurelio Castro, 24 years
- Mebrahtu Tsegaye, 24 years
- Nuru Ali 23 years
- Zelealem Gebremariam-Baffa, 22 years
- Thomas Frederick Rogers, 22 years
- Roy Shockey, 22 years
- Scott Redfield, 21 years
- Frank Aguirre, 20 years
- David Flatt, 20 years
- Louis Carlos Lucero, 20 years
Congratulations to RTD’s bus operators who are members of the 5280 Safe Driving Program for their skills and unique expertise in maneuvering RTD vehicles that are 40 feet long and, in the case of articulated buses, 60 feet long. For comparison, the average car length in the U.S. is about 14.7 feet. Operating an RTD bus requires heeding road conditions in variable conditions and being able to navigate the vehicles through tight spaces and heavy traffic.
In 2024, RTD’s bus and light rail trains provided nearly 40 million revenue miles of service. RTD works closely with national and community partners throughout the year to promote safety around transit. RTD launched the Partners in Safety program in 2010, which is a collaborative effort between RTD employees, customers and the public to create awareness of safety issues and take actions to promote a safer environment around our buses, trains, tracks and crossings.