Find your sustainable commute option

- How do you usually get to work? I live in a traffic filled region and my commute is complicated and it's sometimes kind of terrible. So I've explored a lot of different ways to get to work. From buses, to trains, to carpooling, to biking, and walking, I have tried it all. I was initially hesitant to carpool with coworkers, but I'm really grateful for the relationships that have come from driving into work together. I've learned about some new musicians and movies and I found some fabulous books thanks to my carpool buddies. We're also reducing our carbon footprint and saving money on fuel, vehicle maintenance, parking, and tolls. I usually drive us in the plug-in hybrid electric car I bought. This allows me to use the carpool lane, making my commute faster and resulting in fewer greenhouse gas emissions, because my car is running mostly on electricity powered by the renewable energy I buy from my utility company. So why do I care about having a sustainable commute? While I want to reduce my carbon footprint, I also don't want to spend a lot of time in traffic and I want to earn extra vacation days. Yes, you heard that right. My former workplace has a sustainable commuter benefit. If employees commute sustainably for at least 10 days in a month, they can choose to either get $25 dollars to offset commute costs or a quarter of a vacation day. That's three bonus vacation days a year for commuting sustainably every month. Who doesn't love that? If you don't have a sustainable commuter benefit at your workplace, why not start one? Let's explore ways to make your commute more sustainable. The key to a sustainable commute is finding which option or combination of options works for you so that you can enjoy the benefits of economical, healthy, and environmentally friendly transportation. Walking or biking reduces greenhouse gas emissions, burns calories, and saves money on fuel and parking. If you have some big hills to deal with, consider trying an electric bike for that extra uphill push. Does your workplace offer telecommuting options? If so, working from home reduces your emissions and allows you to spend less time on the road and more time working or relaxing. There are loads of tools for you to green your commute. Many map apps will give you a public transit option and some apps will even help you find someone to carpool with. I suggest starting the process with an open mind and some patience. We don't always get our sustainable commutes right on the first try, but stick with it. You might get in some bonus exercise, meet new interesting people, or read a few extra books this year. Commuting sustainably can make your life so much easier and better. You're happier, your stress levels go down and you make the most of your valuable time while being sustainable.