Coach Operator Matt Chomjak (in blue shirt, second from left) receives his 4th consecutive championship at the WSTA Roadeo.

Community Transit Coach Operator Matt Chomjak made Washington history by winning the state’s premier bus-driving skills competition for a record fourth consecutive year—the first operator ever to achieve that feat.

Chomjak took first place at the 2026 Washington State Transit Association State Roadeo, held Aug. 8–9 at Pierce Transit’s Training Center in Lakewood. The competition was part of the Washington State Public Transportation Conference in nearby Tacoma.


What Is a Roadeo? And Why Should You Care?

"Roadeo" might make you picture cowboy hats and lassos. It’s a skills competition for bus operators and mechanics. Here's how it works:


• Coach Operators drive a timed obstacle course. They handle:
  • Serpentines (weaving turns)
  • Precise stops
  • Tight turns around cones (and marked by strategically placed tennis balls)
  • A pre-trip vehicle inspection
  • A written test

Maintenance teams fix real mechanical problems under pressure, against the clock. It looks like a friendly competition — and it is. But it's built on something that matters to every rider in Snohomish County: safety.
The same skills that win a Roadeo also keep buses running safely every day. When operators practice sharp turns and quick decisions at the Roadeo, those same skills mean smoother rides on your everyday route.

For riders, that means:

• Safer trips
• More reliable service
• Fewer surprise bumps or delays

Roadeo competitors are some of Community Transit's most skilled people. When they win, it shows the high standard of the team getting you to work, school, and everywhere in between. It's something our whole community can be proud of.


A Four Peat for the Record Books

Matt Chomjak didn't just win this year. He won when it mattered most — four years in a row.

This follows a huge year for Matt, who also won First Place Operator at the 2026 APTA International Bus Roadeo in Salt Lake City this past May. Community Transit was named First Runner-up as an agency at that event. Matt also took first place at the International competition last year.


Four state titles in a row, as well as back-to-back international championships, take more than a few good runs. It takes years of steady effort, discipline, and real passion for the job.

Want to know more about Matt? Watch his interview on Episode 8 of That Transit Show.

Congratulations to Matt for making Washington Roadeo history.