Al Roker Praises His Bus Driver Dad and Says Their Relationship Was a 'Two-Way Street of Pride'

The 'Today' Show weather anchor celebrated NYC bus drivers, including his late father, Albert Lincoln Roker, Sr., who he said "was everything to me and my siblings"

Al Roker is honoring the life and legacy of his late father, Albert Lincoln Roker, Sr.

The weather forecaster became nostalgic when he hosted an early Father's Day segment on the Today show Tuesday, honoring the thousands of NYC bus operators who tirelessly transport New Yorkers safely around the city — including his own father who did the same work for over two decades.

While sitting down with four bus operators from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), Roker, 68, recalled the memories he made, and sense of pride he felt, when his dad would let him tag along on the bus route.

“When I was off from school, he’d take me on the bus with him and [at] the end of his run, we’d be in the parking lot and he’d let me steer the bus,” he said. “I’d literally sit on his lap, he let me steer the bus."

“There was this two-way street of pride,” Roker added. “I was so proud to see my dad doing this and I think he was proud to see me see him doing that.”

Related: Al Roker, Carson Daly and Craig Melvin Share How Their Dads 'Informed How We Became Fathers'

Modern buses are equipped with amenities like air conditioning and USB ports, but Roker got to step back into the days of his past when he was given the opportunity to sit in the same model bus his dad used to drive in the 1950s and 60s. The bus was part of a vintage fleet preserved by the New York Transit Museum.

Sitting in the same seat from his childhood, Roker thought back on his memories of getting Yoo-Hoos from "a place in Brooklyn called Goodies luncheonette" and being introduced to his dad's "favorite passengers."

"My dad was everything to me and my siblings," he added. "And we were so proud of him and he was proud of us."

Related: Al Roker Opens Up About His Health Crisis: 'I Am Blessed to Be Alive'

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE last year, Roker said the fond memories he has of his dad have shaped the type of father he is today.

"I know for myself, I tend to put my dad a bit on a pedestal. He had his faults and all of his issues, but one of the things I always remember, and I try to do, is that he really was my greatest advocate. And I try to be that for my kids," Roker said.

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Over the years, he has also continued to honor his dad's legacy — both on Today and in social media tributes.

In February 2017, Roker marked what would've been his dad's 85th birthday. "Today would have been Albert Lincoln Roker, Sr.'s 85th birthday. Happy Birthday, Dad. I love you," he tweeted.

The following year, Roker paid tribute to his dad on Instagram for a Father's Day post. "I miss Albert Lincoln Roker, Sr. every day," he captioned the post, in part.

Roker also reflected on how precious life is ahead of Father's Day 2020. "Missing Albert Lincoln Roker, Sr. I’m coming up on 66 and at the same age, he only had 2 more Fathers Days left. I just want more Fathers Days," he wrote beside a family photo.

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