June Commute Challenge Winners
Congratulations to our June Commute Challenge winners, Liesl Strand and Yudi Bedi. By biking and taking public transportation, Liesl and Yudi alleviate the cost and stress of driving alone in rush-hour traffic. Best of all, they don’t have to pay for parking!
Liesl, a PhD candidate in the Department of Developmental Biology, has been biking to Stanford five days a week for almost six years. Averaging four miles per day round-trip, Liesl estimates that equals 5,750 miles, or roughly the distance to bike from Stanford to New York City and ⅔ of the way back.
“I bike to the molecular biology lab every day,” said Liesl. “I love it! I get a nice bit of fresh air in the morning, and it’s a much nicer way to start the day without having to worry about where to park.”
So what does she do when it rains? “Yeah, I’m from Seattle,” Liesl laughed. Enough said.
Yudi, a third-year postdoctoral scholar in the Stanford Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, loves biking because it’s “great for my cardiovascular health, especially on busy days when I can’t get a lot of movement in.” He added that the biggest bonus has been “avoiding the whole parking situation.”
Yudi mainly commutes by bike, but uses his free Stanford-issued VTA SmartPass, available to eligible employees and postdocs at no cost, on days when he needs to carry more items. His free Stanford-issued Caltrain GoPass (available to eligible employees, postdocs, and graduate students) is a great option when visiting friends who live in areas VTA doesn’t service.
