Commuter Spotlight - May, 2024

Welcome to COMMUTEwell’s "Commuter Spotlight" series, where we shine a light on the dedicated individuals who choose sustainable modes of transportation to commute to work. City of Los Angeles employees travel to work in various ways. Some employees bike, walk, scoot, carpool, vanpool, take public transportation, and drive alone. This series is intended to share the stories of commuters, such as you, who demonstrate it's possible to get to work without driving alone!

This month we are featuring Jenn, who is sharing their story of their bike commute to work.

Here is what Jenn has to say about commuting:

1. How often are you commuting by bike?

I am lucky to be able to commute by bike five days a week, rain or shine. I committed to this early in 2020, when I was reporting to two jobs in-person under lockdown. Since then, I've put in almost 6,000 commuter miles on my 1980's Univega bicycle which I named "Miles."

2. What is the best part of your commute?

I do my best thinking on my bike. Often, when I arrive to work, I will have a couple of fresh ideas of how to take on the day's tasks. Riding home is a time that I get to unpack the day and it feels like a healthy transition to me.

3. Who/what inspired you to start commuting by bike?

When my grandmother immigrated to Los Angeles from Germany, she rode her bike all over the city. My cousins in Germany commute by bike to work in all kinds of weather. I feel connected to my family when I ride my bike.

4. What benefits do you find in biking to work or other destinations?

I love to see the city from the perspective of a bicycle and feel very connected to my environment.

5. Do you have any tips or advice for someone considering trying a biking commute?

It really helps to familiarize yourself with the rules of the road as they apply to bicycling. Know your rights! I also advise making yourself more visible with good lights, reflective and/or high-visibility clothing, a good fitting helmet and a loud bell that is easy to access in a pinch.

6. Do you have any memorable moments or stories from your bike commute that you’d like to share?

Last year, on Sunset Blvd. in Echo Park I noticed that traffic was stopped because a group of ducks kept running into the street. With the help of a local small business owner, we used my bike and a large shirt from her salon to corral the ducks onto the sidewalk. They eventually flew back to Echo Park Lake with no incident.