MBA grad sold on public transportation

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By H.M. Cauley

For the AJC

What could you do with a few free hours five days a week? Matlyn Locklin faced that question two years ago when she started commuting by bus at least two hours a day, five days a week, from Jonesboro to her office near Perimeter Mall.

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Special Matlyn Locklin grabs a seat on the shuttle that takes her from the train to her office near Perimeter Mall.

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“I just had to get off the interstate and stop driving,” said Locklin, who works for Popeye’s. “I first started carpooling with three other people who work in the same office. It was a great way to save time and energy. But one day, we saw the express bus going by us and decided to try that instead.”

It wasn’t long before Locklin was riding the bus into downtown Atlanta, then hopping a train for the short leg to Perimeter.

“I loved the relaxation,” she said. “I caught the bus at 7 a.m. and could get to work by 8:40 a.m.”

In May 2009, Locklin enrolled in an MBA program. Soon, it was clear that those daily commutes were her ticket to study hall.

“It worked out really well for me,” said the 46-year-old Atlanta native. “I always had a book. People would ask me, ‘What are you doing? I told them I was studying for my classes. It was really convenient. Some buses even had an outlet where I could plug in my laptop.”

Locklin planned her study sessions to get in a chapter or two of reading each day. “It really made my life so much easier,” she said. “When I got home, I wasn’t stressed. I was relaxed and had already gotten my homework done.”

In August 2010, after 16 months of work, Locklin earned her MBA in leadership from Post University in Connecticut. Looking back, she never figured out exactly how much money she saved from not having to drive.

“I was so hooked on the mental savings that I never calculated the car savings,” she said.

But since moving to Powder Springs a year ago, Locklin has been stressing over how much it’s costing her to drive to work each day. She gave the local express bus a try, but the trip from west Cobb County took her out of the way, through downtown Atlanta. Instead of a 2-hour bus-train ride, she’s back in her car for 45 minutes each way. But she’s so sold on public transportation that she’s committed to forming a van pool.

“I’ve been working with people at the Clean Air Campaign to start one,” she said. “We need about 11 people to make it work, and so far, we have seven, so we’re still in the recruiting process. I know they’ve been sending out emails to corporations in the area to find employees who are interested, and I”ve been actively recruiting myself. I’ve been taking fliers to work and posting them at the Powder Springs Park and Ride to see if people want to join.”

Being in the car is costly, not only because Locklin ended up buying a new car to make the trip. She also has to leave early if she doesn’t want to hit stop-and-go traffic. And there’s one thing she misses most of all.

“When I was done with school, I could do a lot more sleeping instead of reading,” she said. “It was really restful!”

Information about van pools and alternative commutes is available online at www.cleanaircampaign.org or by calling 1-877-253-2624.

Who has inspired you?

Every other Wednesday, H.M. Cauley brings you positive stories from our community. To suggest a story idea, e-mail hm_cauley@yahoo.com.