|
From A.J. Willard at Merix Corporation: The day of my interview at Merix it rained, and the walk took me about half an hour. I arrived totally soaked, but Keith welcomed me anyway. I thought that I had blown the interview beacause I was soaking wet. But it turns out I got the job!
On wet days sometimes I'll ride the bus crosstown. The rest of the time I ride this old Schwinn 12-speed which has seen better days. I plan to ride it into the ground. You see a lot more of the world on bike, bus and on foot, and it's better for the environment. I've been traveling this way all month and for the last ten years.
Not everyone needs a car. We need a healthy planet more.
From Ruth Conrad at Multnomah County Library:
Taking public transportation livens up a person's life. I've met lots of interesting and funny people while riding buses and light rail. Just recently I met an adorable little 3-year old from Ireland who told me all about his friends in Ireland and his back yard in Portland. A few weeks ago I met and chatted with a sweet homeless lady who is trying to get into public housing. And best of all, when I was walking home from the Max station, a wonderful little stray cat adopted me! My other cats tell me I should drive from now on, in case there are more strays lying in wait. But I won't listen to them; it's too much fun to ride trains and walk.
From Jinae Lawson,KPFF Consulting Engineers
A casual bike rider, I pedaled to the office on particular occasions. Say, sunny mornings when I had time to spare, was wearing pants and flats, when the weather was dry, when it was Breakfast on Bridges Friday, or when I missed the bus. Traversing one-ways wrong and braking on the bridge, I never really found my pace. So when my coworkers signed up for the challenge, I made an effort to bike when all the stars weren’t necessarily aligned. Throughout the month, it got easier. Not just that: it got better! As other 2-wheelers know, biking is faster than the bus, cheaper than driving and parking, and more invigorating than coffee. After July’s challenge, I can modestly bike in a skirt and expertly park my Schwinn in the bike locker. I found that there is a perfect speed at which you can beat the cars but not arrive at the office in dire need of a shower. My bike pace discloses scents and sounds unknown to the motorist me. The bike ride home makes me happier than Happy Hour. Now I ride to work because that’s how I get there... It’s not a challenge anymore.
From Dixon Martin of Energy Trust of Oregon
Riding my bike to work, I am euphoric. The wind races past my body. I fly in stealth: the only sounds the whirring of my bicycle’s tires and the rhythm of my breathing. In the silence, I contemplate life and appreciate the beauty of this place. I smell the roses. I think about how I love my commute. Are fuel prices high? Not a problem. Is parking costly and in short supply? I always park in a perfect space, for free. Do the treadmills at my health club bore me? I would much rather enjoy the sights and sounds of the city, and get somewhere as I do my aerobic exercise! I keep my steady place, and cars jolt past me. Then they become ensnared in the city’s gridlock, and I glide past them. My 5-mile commute takes the same amount of time on my bicycle, on a bus, or in a car.
I arrive composed and content. I smile.
Commuter’s Triumph by Barbara Parsons:
My husband, my bus buddy, taught me, the directionally challenged, through example; how to find my bus number on the bus stops and on the buses, how to board the front of the bus, pay the driver, find a seat, and when to ring the bell for my stop. I took Tri-Met to the Rose Parade, the zoo, the airport and to work. All was right in my world of commuting until the day of the accident.
I fell, dislocating my kneecap, ironically, while on a fitness walk. Wheelchair bound for months, I doubted I would ever walk again much less commute! I called to cancel my monthly pass, but Tri-Met informed me that I qualified for their lift bus program. I quickly signed up and soon they were coming to my door to pick me up in my wheelchair and take me to physical therapy, and eventually back to work!
Months later while I was standing at my regular bus stop, a Tri-Met lift bus stopped for the light.
The driver registered shock and awe at my wheelchair free standing. Her recognition turned into a big waving grin and that smile made my spirit soar!
From Karen Scott Lowthian of Metro:
I became a bike rider because I work with avid bike riders. A couple of them suggested that I try riding into work, and offered to help me figure out how. I resisted because I was afraid of cars, I didn’t know the rules of the road, I was afraid to shift, and I didn’t know what to do about work clothes.
I had an old bike that my dad had given me, but I wasn’t sure how it would work. When asked, “What kind?” I said, “Blue”. Is it road bike? “Well, it’s blue”. How many gears? “Kind of a royal/cobalt blue.” I brought it to work and was told that it was a “classic” and would most definitely do. My co-workers also gave me a run-down on the basic rules and etiquette and even escorted me to work my first few times.
Biking to work, I have learned that most bike riders are kind and generous; most car drivers aren’t trying to kill you and are happy to share the road; wrinkle free skirts rock, as do biking legs; your co-workers will not know if you forgot underwear; and it is possible to love an inanimate object. I love my blue bike.
From Linda McGough of Rockwood Library
I live in Southwest Gresham alongside the greenway by Binford Lake. From my house there is a trail that winds along a creek and through big trees that can be followed all the way down to the Springwater Trail. Last week I caught a sub job at the Gresham Library and decided to walk to work. To my delight it turned out to be “critter” day on the Springwater Trail! I saw a llama, lots of ducks, 2 woodpeckers, 3 rabbits, a goat in someone’s back yard, an otter sliding down into Johnson Creek, and the poor, forlorn goose who has lost his mate and spends his day in mournful cries. You have to be watchful for him – sometimes he’ll chase you way down the path. (I think there’s a children’s picture book in there somewhere!) … I’m so glad I chose to do the Carefree Commuter Challenge! If I hadn’t, the commute that day would have been just another frustrating drive down Powell, which is under construction--- dealing with traffic and ruts and stoppages. Instead, I got to see a menagerie of animals and arrived at work rejuvenated, at peace, and ready to take on the day.
From Karen Alice Jones of Washington County:
... And all this (carpooling) interaction has gone on as we've both saved significant money on gas and taken our budding friendship to a higher level. After she's dropped me off, I've often had a very satisfying feeling of having decreased oil company profits and having increased a valuable friendship.
Overcoming the Obstacles by Curtis Crothers of Freightliner
Heading out the door on time in the morning used to be my biggest obstacle to bike commuting. Simplifying the morning process cured that. I prep my bike the day before - check tire pressure, charge the light battery and lubricate the chain. I'll even take my office clothes to work beforehand to help simplify the morning prep.
Prior to the work week, I pick the days I want to ride based on my schedule. To ensure that I ride on the chosen days, I've set up my bike and clothing to handle most every condition - rain or shine, darkness or daylight, warm or cold. When ride morning comes, there's no question as to whether or not I'm jumping on my bike. I dress for the conditions and go! An often used quote: "There's no such thing as bad weather, just bad gear."
The Youthful Transplant by Sarah Ihmoud of Clackamas Co Dept of Employee Services
A big city girl, born and raised in Chicago and fresh out of college in New York, I headed to the West coast just a few weeks ago in search of a new frontier.
Having landed a summer internship in Clackamas County, the three hour commute to and from work was the first real exposure I got to Northwest city life.
As a young person who aspires to a career in public service, it's important to me to have a real sense of my constituency-the people for whom I really work-working people: who they are; their hopes, fears, ambitions and needs.
I found it all riding the trimet bus, through those small interactions we so often overlook: exchanging a few words with the woman sitting next to me, people watching-catching a glimpse of children at play, books being read, music being listened to and overhearing bits and pieces of conversation.
Making quiet observations from both sides of the expansive bus windows, I've gained insight into why "to travel is better than to arrive." It is while traveling through life that we are truly able to understand and appreciate the humanity of those around us.
|
News and Events
