Commute Champion Recognition Program

Commuter Services strives to provide innovative and sustainable transportation solutions that facilitate the educational, research, cultural and service missions of the University. Through the U-PASS program, Commuter Services helps University commuters make smart transportation choices that are good for the environment, enhance the quality of life in the area around the University, and are good for the health and pocketbooks of commuters.

Commuter Services and U-PASS started the Commute Champion recognition program in 2009 to help recognize individuals in the UW community who model smart commute choices. Each quarter a new Commute Champion is chosen from peer nominations and honored with a framed award certificate plus generously donated $50 gift cards from both the UW Book Store and REI! The Commute Champion will be featured in a story on the Commuter Services website, in the Commuter Services Newsletter, and in the Commuter Services Lobby!

Nominations will be accepted throughout the quarter but must be submitted by the last day of the quarter. A new Commute Champion will be named during the beginning of each new quarter. If your nominee is not selected during the quarter you submitted their name, they will still be eligible to win Commute Champion for up to one year. All nominations will expire after one year.

If you know someone who deserves to be a Commute Champion, nominate them today!

The Commute Champion Recognition Program is Proudly Sponsored By:

REI
222 Yale Ave N
Seattle, WA 98109
206.223.1944
www.rei.com

UW Book Store
4326 University Way NE
Seattle, WA 98105
206.634.3400
www.bookstore.washington.edu

Commuter Champion Maya Jacobs

Maya’s Commute Champion profile will be posted soon…

Commuter Champion Jeff Barnum

Jeff Barnum has been commuting by bus (and occasionally by bike) since he was 13! Wherever he lived or visited, the local transit system was his primary means of transportation. To date, he has commuted by bus and/or bike in Seattle, Portland, Boston, Cleveland, Washington D.C., and Edmonton, Alberta, Canada! As an active duty Lieutenant with the U.S. Coast Guard, Jeff has had to move a lot but wherever he goes the available transit options are always part of the consideration when choosing a new neighborhood. Jeff got hooked on bus riding because, as he says, it’s an oasis of “me” time. While he’s on the bus he has no responsibilities to anyone else and that allows him to get quite a bit of reading done for his classes with UW Law. His commute actually helps ease his transition between work/school and home. His tip for trying your own bus commute; you can never have too much information. Whether that information comes from the OneBusAway app or a fellow bus rider, Jeff admits that knowing when your bus will arrive or whether it’s already passed eases some of the challenges of commuting by bus. Also, he recommends knowing where the different buses stop to help when constructing a mixed-mode commute. So the next time you’re on a bus look for Jeff Barnum and say hi or ask his advice, he’s always happy to help!

Commuter Champion Nicholas Plemel

Nic Plemel has been carpooling to work ever since he started working at the UW back in 2005. As if that wasn’t good enough, he began occasionally running to work (from West Seattle) in 2008 and now regularly runs in to work at least once a week and still carpools with 1 or 2 other co-workers on the days he doesn’t run in. He loves his run commute because it gives him the chance to get the training and exercise he needs while keeping his evenings open to enjoy some quality time with his wife and 10 month old daughter. For anyone wanting to follow in Nic’s shoes and try their own run commute he recommends you travel light. He suggests planning ahead and having work cloths and lunch waiting for you at the office. He also stresses the importance of running in highly visible clothing, especially if you’re running in the dark or twilight. He also advises having some snacks at work that will boost your energy once you get there. His go to menu is Chocolate Almond Milk, a little something sweet, and a lot of protein!

Commuter Champion Angie Weiss

Angie Weiss can thank her high school for getting her hooked on riding the bus! During her freshman year, her high school gave out bus passes to all the students. This gave Angie the motivation to try the bus and ever since she made that effort she’s loved it. She immediately discovered that taking the bus was easier than she thought and she got hooked on the fact that she could multi-task while sitting in traffic; something you can’t do behind the wheel of a car. When Angie started at the UW, she continued her advocacy for the transit system and worked to get other students involved in the congestion relief charge. She’s received a huge outpouring of support among her fellow students as transportation issues are one thing that effect everyone on campus. As the ASUW Organizing Coordinator with the Office of Government Relations, Angie organized and recorded student testimony, letters, and even helped students attend hearings in downtown Seattle to advocate for the transit system in and around the UDistrict. Thanks to Angie’s efforts, bus routes were saved from the chopping block and students were able to actively participate in the process!

Commuter Champion Brian Ferris

Brian Ferris is such a devoted bus rider that he created an app for it! Brian is the mastermind behind OneBusAway, a multi-media tool that provides easy access to real-time transit information for the Puget Sound region. Brian has been car free since he moved to Seattle seven years ago and has taken the bus ever since. He chooses the bus because he doesn’t like sitting behind a wheel in traffic and by being a passenger he’s able to read, reflect, and take some time for himself during his daily commute. Plus between insurance, gas, and traffic he says he has plenty of reasons not to drive. The motivation for the OneBusAway project was born out of frustration; both Brian’s and other riders he met. His goal was to create a tool that would make it easier for people to use public transit by providing easy access to schedule and real-time arrival information. Mission accomplished Brian and thank you for both your dedication to bus riding and your support of riders everywhere!

Commuter Champion Claire Levy

Claire Levy started walking and riding the bus because she didn’t own a car and didn’t want to. She didn’t want to pay for parking and since she lived relatively close to the UW campus she decided to starting walking for her daily commute. She knows the bus is always there as a reliable way to get around the City but she enjoys making physical activity a normal part of her everyday life since her work requires a good deal of sitting. Claire says her walk also gives her the chance to get outside and enjoy nature and the beautiful scenery that Seattle has to offer. She inspires and encourages those around her to make walking a regular part of their commutes through her dedication to a no-car lifestyle and by demonstrating that alternative modes of transportation aren’t as inconvenient as you might think! Her advice if you’re on the fence about a walking commute is to try it when you don’t have a schedule to keep. She points out that if you’re not worried about a time frame you can get a more realistic idea of whether or not you’ll enjoy a walking commute as much as she does!

Commuter Champion Michael Meng

Michael Meng has been commuting to work on the bus since his first day at the UW four years ago. Michael was initially hesitant to try a bus commute since he thought it would mean giving up the freedom of his car. But after a few trips he was hooked! He now loves his bus commute with U-PASS because it’s convenient, faster than driving alone, saves him money on gas and parking, and keeps him out of the congested Seattle traffic. He has even started taking his kids on the bus on weekends to help teach them the importance of being environmentally friendly. To Michael, his bus commute helps him be a role model for his children. The thoughtfulness and determination behind his decision to continue to commute by bus is an inspiration to everyone around him. And for those who are on the fence about taking the bus, Michael says, “just try it!”

Commuter Champion Beverly Wessel

Beverly Wessel is a 30 year UW bike commuter and an eight year Ride in the Rain veteran. She received the bike that she uses for all those rides back in 1985 as a wedding present from her parents. Beverly says her favorite thing about bike commuting is the daily opportunity to be outdoors and connect with nature and her community. She admits that riding in traffic can be intimidating so she likes to stick to side streets. She encourages anyone who is on the fence about becoming a bike commuter to do what she does; don’t be afraid to go off the main road to find a route that feels safe and comfortable. She knows from experience that riding around cars gets easier with every trip. Her advice and wisdom have helped countless colleagues become confident bike commuters year after year!

Commuter Champion Eric Shellan

Undergraduate Eric Shellan has been commuting either by foot or by bus since his first year at the UW. As a senior next year, he will mark four years of not driving to school. Eric grew up in Mount Vernon, Washington where driving constituted the majority of trips. Since moving to King County he’s found that King County Metro service provides him with a convenient and easy to use alternative to driving. He likes being able to hop on the bus when he’s running late or if it’s raining and then walk when it’s sunny. Eric thinks it’s important for people, and students especially, to be aware of their different commute options so they can save themselves time and money.

Commuter Champion Denis Martynowych

Denis Martynowych has been commuting to the UW on his bike since 1992. He’s always enjoyed cycling, so when he was hired it just seemed like the natural thing to do. After that much time on 2 wheels, Denis is a confident rider but he always makes safety a priority by wearing a helmet, using good lights, and choosing routes that he feels comfortable with. He encourages new cyclists to try bike commuting, even if it’s only for part of their trip. He feels the important thing is to give yourself the opportunity to experience the joy of cycling because, as Denis says, “it just feels good on so many levels.” Thank you Denis, for being an inspiration to UW cyclists of all skill levels.

Commuter Champion Jess Lundin

Jess Lundin bikes nearly 7 miles to work every day and is a regular participant in UW bicycling events. On the rare occasions when she doesn’t bike, Jess takes the bus. She models smart commuting both by biking and by wearing a helmet and using good lights on her bike. Jess serves as the catalyst for cyclists in Earth and Space Sciences. She is a top recruiter getting other grad students to be on the department’s teams, then sending them encouraging emails and looking after them. When people need bike help or commute advice, she is always there helping with everything from route planning to changing tires and tightening brakes. Thank you Jessica, for taking the time to share your bicycling skills and provide inspiration to your colleagues as they explore cycling.

Commuter Champion Yang-Sook Choe

Congratulations to Yang-Sook Choe, our first ever Commute Champion! For nearly 20 years, Yang-Sook Choe, Program Manager for Area C Custodial Division, woke up at 3:00 a.m. to make her drive-alone commute from Edmonds and get to campus early enough to help shuttle some of her staff from the Northlake Building to their clock-in site at the Old Fisheries Building. About three years ago, Yang-Sook joined the U-PASS vanpool program and it has changed her commute forever. Now she can sleep in an extra half hour and still cut 10 minutes off of her commute time by using the high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes.

Yang-Sook has become such a vanpool advocate that over the past three years she has helped almost every new Custodial Services employee join a vanpool. This means that Custodial Services can now boast of having 11 vanpools with more than 70 participants.

Yang-Sook says that the most common question new vanpoolers have is how to fill out the required paperwork. She has taken it upon herself to help her fellow employees fill out their vanpool paper work correctly and fax it to the appropriate transit agency. She’s also assisted with scheduling for each new vanpooler’s vanpool orientation session. Yang-Sook is so good at helping people set-up vanpools that most new employees assume she works for the transit agency as a representative for vanpooling. Keep up the great work Yang-Sook and thank you for being a Commute Champion!