For me, commuting isn’t an either/or proposition — drive or take transit? Carpool or telework? I’ve found that multiple options can work for the same commute, and I often mix it up among carpooling, riding the bus, taking the train, walking and teleworking.
I used to drive a total of 40 miles each day from my home in Johns Creek to my office in Buckhead, and my only routes were down Ga. 141 or 400 – both traffic-packed options that could take more than an hour each way. I thought that riding a bus to a train station, taking the train a few stops, then walking to work would take longer than my drive, but then I thought about all the free time I’d gain as a rider rather than a driver. Those hours could be spent catching up on emails, reading or sleeping. Plus, I’d be saving significantly on gas and car repairs.
Initially, I was happy just driving seven miles to the bus stop instead of all the way to work, but then I discovered my neighbor worked across the street from my office and realized I could improve upon that short solo drive to the bus. I approached him, and we decided carpooling would make that part of the commute easier. I don’t work in Buckhead anymore — my work destination is now Sandy Springs — but I still maintain the belief that carpooling when I can, taking transit and walking can sometimes take even less time than driving alone, and that my choice actually creates usable time, saves me money, keeps the air cleaner and puts me in a better mood.
Since I began clean commuting in 2005, I’ve been able to reduce more than 64,000 vehicle miles from metro Atlanta roads and keep more than 32 tons of pollution from the air we all breathe. I would also estimate that I’ve also saved close to $33,000 in fuel and maintenance costs.
In addition to saving quite a bit of money, I also find I’m a lot less grumpy, especially in the afternoon. No longer do I have to grip the steering wheel for an hour. Instead, I’m able to read every day, which is a big motivator to keep choosing commute options. I love to read, but never felt I could take the time after spending two or more hours driving every day. I’ve also developed quite a talent for napping while sitting up.
The final piece of my commute puzzle is telework. On days when I have an appointment near my home, or my kids have practice or a game, I avoid the commute altogether and work from my home office. It’s great to be there when my kids get home from school, and I’m actually able to accomplish more when I don’t have to spend my time traveling.
The Clean Air Campaign, which facilitates the Georgia Commute Options program, has been a great resource for me. Because I often brag about the gift cards I’ve won just for logging my commute trips and the money I’ve saved, I’ve been able to convince quite a few of my co-workers to give commute options a try. I’ll definitely continue to encourage others to look into cleaner, greener ways to get to work. I’m happier and richer because of it.
Ben Assaf is principal applications engineer for Oracle.
