Seven-year bus operator Scott Gilliam prepared to drive through the obstacle course set up in the parking lot on Saturday morning. Having competed four prior times, he knew the course well. After checking his driving gloves and getting approval from the judge, he cautiously approached the first station of winding traffic cones called the Serpentine and drove around them.
With judges sitting behind him tracking his time and others outside documenting whether he hit any cones, Gilliam continued through Offset Alley and the Rear Dual clearance before coming to the Passenger Stop station. Judges measured the distance from the front tire of the bus to the curb before Gilliam pulled away to attempt a reverse.
Gilliam’s navigation was all part of the annual Chapel Hill Roadeo competition, which challenges its bus operators to see who can best navigate an obstacle course and showcase their driving skills while being timed. He finished his run by accelerating through a dozen orange barrels and screeching to a halt in front of a bright yellow cone, where another measurement was taken for his final points total.
“We have some great competitors here,” Gilliam said. “Top three, that’s what I’m shooting for.”
Scott Gilliam drives during his turn at the Chapel Hill 2026 Roadeo. (Photo by Brighton McConnell/Chapel Hill Media Group.)
The event has become an annual staple for the transit system, both as a source of friendly competition and a way to show off their training. Fixed route operators, like Gillian, drove their 40-foot buses through the course, while LTV operators steered their lighter and smaller vehicles around.
Emily Powell, the Community Outreach Manager for Chapel Hill Transit, moved from station to station in the parking lot on Saturday to watch different drivers’ runs.
“We speak with our operators – and all of our team members – about customer service, hospitality and all of these intangible skills,” Powell said. “But at the end of the day, they are real professionals behind the wheel too, and this is a chance for them to demonstrate that. It’s really fun to watch them get to drive the bus without people around, through these tight cones, and they get to take corners a little bit faster than usual…lay on the gas and hit the brakes hard.”
— Brighton McConnell (@brmcc.bsky.social) 2026-06-06T16:31:51.277Z
Michelle Sykes-Parker also supervised the event, helping manage the course and occasionally driving around to collect scorecards from judges. As the training coordinator for the transit system and a former bus operator herself, she’s very familiar with the roadeo, the abilities it tests, and all of its competitors.
“We have some operators that are really skeptical of even doing this event,” Sykes-Parker said, “but we tell them, ‘This is the kind of stuff you do every day even though some of the things are a little tighter.’ We try to make it fun for them, give them an opportunity to come out and practice. I even had one operator that has never participated before, and he’s been here for some years. Just to see him get out here on the course, go through these maneuvers and show off his skills, I was really proud.”
The Chapel Hill Transit Roadeo is entirely a volunteer event – not just for the competitors, but for the people who help the day happen. From the judges to the registration table attendants to the organizers, no one from the transit system is required to work the roadeo amid a typical day of Saturday bus service. The result, according to transit director Brian Litchfield, is a chance for staff to become a stronger team.
“We’ve got folks that play important roles throughout the organization out here, but they may not work together in the same vicinity on a regular basis,” Litchfield said. “You’ve got folks that are on the accounting team that are doing stuff every day that are helping our maintenance and operations team – but they may not see each other or work together directly every day. So, they’re out here together as judges, talking and having fun. It’s an area where they can get together outside of the standard [working hours] and enjoy each other.”
The roadeo is also an opportunity for bus operators and staff to bring loved ones along to see them work. As buses and drivers moved through the course, family and friends watched from the sidelines cheering them on and taking videos. DJ P-Smooth – the stage name for Nigel Frank, the transit system’s Demand Response Operations Manager – further livened the atmosphere with constant music before a food truck arrived at the end of the competition.
On top of performing in the fun atmosphere, the bus operators are motivated by a cash prize for the top three points-scorers in each category and the top rookie competitors.
“They love winning – like, they get really excited and really honored to win,” Powell said. “And then the winner of our local roadeo goes to the state roadeo, which has been held in Concord and Cherokee. That’s a fun weekend experience for them to get out and compete against the best in the state.
“And,” she added, “if they qualify there, then they go to the international roadeo.”
Chapel Hill Transit Operator Ricky Hunter is no stranger to either of those higher-level competitions, having competed earlier this year at the international roadeo in Salt Lake City and finishing 18th out of 80 drivers. Hunter won Saturday’s local roadeo once again – with Gilliam getting his top three finish, placing third in the Fixed Route category.
Featured photo by Brighton McConnell/Chapel Hill Media Group. See more photos from Saturday’s Chapel Hill 2026 Roadeo by visiting our photo gallery.
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