OCEAN CITY — Ocean City municipal bus driver Tim Noon was recognized as the Transportation Association of Maryland’s 2020 driver of the year in a special ceremony at City Hall.
Transportation Association of Maryland (TAM) Executive Director John Duklewski presented the honor at Monday’s Mayor and Council meeting. Noon, who started with the town of Ocean City’s transportation department in 2006, was described as an exemplary municipal bus driver.
“Courteous, friendly attitude, very good with people, excels in getting along with others,” said Duklewski. “These are just a few of the ways this driver is described by his passengers, co-workers and supervisors. A great driver is more than getting people from point A to point B.”
In addition to his affable demeanor during what can only be described as a demanding job during the peak summer season, Noon was recognized for his diligence in performing his duties day in and day out.
“Tim put forth the maximum effort in his job and is do dedicated that even when working the busiest days of the year, transporting as many as 26,000 passengers in one day, he must be told to go home,” said Duklewski. “He is always asking to make one more run. Tim is always willing to work during a snow storm of nor’easter and has helped with hurricane evacuations in the past.”
In his roughly 15 years on the job, Noon’s record as a municipal bus driver is spotless.
“Tim has been a full-time driver since 2006 with no safety incidents,” said Administrative Transit Manager Brian Conner. “He has an excellent driving record as well as an excellent attendance record. He is always available to work and does not request time off in heavy demand peak situations.”
In addition to his stellar driving record over the years, Noon was recognized for his patience and understanding in his role as a municipal bus driver, a role deemed as an ambassador for many of the resort’s millions of visitors each year.
“Tim treats others with respect and takes the extra effort to help the public understand the schedules,” said Duklweski. “He creates personal relationships with his passengers. Tim even created such a lasting relationship with some of the international student workers that were regular passengers on the bus that they invited him to visit their homeland of Moravia, which he did.”
For his part, Noon was humble in accepting the TAM award.
“This would not be possible without everybody behind the scenes,” he said. “This award is for all of them too.”
