Cydney K.

Where do you work and what is your role in the company?  

I'm a teacher at Bonney Lake High School.

How far is your commute? How long does it take you each way? 

In the morning, I ride 14 miles with a little ride on the Sounder, and on the way home I ride the full 23 miles from Bonney Lake to Tacoma. Sadly, I can only do this a couple times a week.

What is your commute mode and what made you decide to commute this way? 

I bike and take the Sounder, and I decided to do this because riding bikes is fun! I get great exercise and look forward to both ends of my workday.

What do you enjoy about your commute (or teleworking)? 

I get to see the sun rise and set and have a much deeper awareness of the changing seasons from a bike than in a car - I can feel the temperature fluctuations and smell the plants that are growing or decaying and count the new baby bunnies on the trail. I can say hi to the kids at the bus stops and show my students that they don't need a car to get around their town.

Do you have any positive, interesting stories from your commute? 

Once a year, on the school district's Convocation, I take a different route than my usual one and race up 410 with all the school buses full of teachers cheering me on. On the other end of the school year, I ride to graduation and get to ding my bike bell for all the seniors arriving in their caps and gowns.

Do you think you save money by commuting this way? If so, how much? Estimates are fine. 

Yes, in terms of wear and tear on my car.

How does your company help accommodate your commute option? (ex: bike racks, free bus pass, vanpool subsidy, flexible work hours, telework incentives, etc.) 

I can park my bike in my classroom and hang my clothes on my Smartboard to dry them.

What do you recommend your employer did to assist your coworkers with their commute? 

More bike parking! 

What would you say to your fellow employees to inspire them to try using a commute option other than driving alone in their car? 

We'd live in a safer, happier world with fewer cars on the road! Life is so much less stressful without traffic.