[Published: January 24, 2024]

We invited the Stanford community to take part in a Sustainable Commute Challenge during which they'd switch up their commute routine and take public transit, walk/bike, or rideshare to work just once or twice a month. Once the entries poured in, we discovered that many of you already incorporate sustainable commuting into your regular routines. Thanks to all who entered, and congratulations to our winners below. Remember: it’s never too late to start. Just a day or two a month can make a big difference.

New Year, New Commute

Think you have to ride public transit or vanpool every day to help the planet and save money? Think again. You can make a difference and save $ by doing a sustainable commute just once or twice a month. There are many commute combinations to choose from. It’s not an all-or-nothing proposition. Explore our Commute Toolkit to learn more.

Barchi Gillai - Biked to work one day. “I loved biking to Stanford. It was great. When the weather gets warmer and the days get longer, my goal is to bike to work at least once a week.”

–Troy Noordenbos–Embarked on a November Bike Challenge & rode to work 16 days 12 miles round trip! “The vibrant colors of fall foliage, fresh air, and local wildlife sightings reminded me that even the simplest of journeys can become extraordinary adventures. It was also a time to reflect, recharge, and reconnect with nature amidst the chaos of daily life. I plan to ride once or twice a week moving forward.”

– Sam Lubow, Took Caltrain twice “I had a lot of fun on Caltrain. It was nice to walk to the bus in the morning instead of driving. It took longer than driving but I was able to prep for my presentation later that day. I’m looking forward to taking the train again.”

– David Ward, Took Caltrain four times “Great experience overall. I am still learning about the types of trains that skip certain stops, but it has been fun and easy. Also, I am so grateful for the Clipper Card and the Marguerite. I can get in a walk to the train in the morning, and then get dropped off right in front of my office by the Marguerite. And I’m not sitting in traffic, white-knuckling it into work. I plan on incorporating it into my routine once or twice a week moving forward.”

– Helen Dang, Vanpooled to work once or twice a week. “I recently started with the Stanford-Santa Cruz vanpool which completely changed my perspective of sustainable travel. Every time I vanpool, I think about all the benefits: carbon emissions reduction, cost savings on gas and parking permits, and time saved by being able to take the carpool lane. Vanpooling makes me feel like I'm contributing to my community: local, Stanford, and Earth.

 

– Priyanka Mehta, carpooled to work & rode Marguerite “Instead of asking my husband to drive me to the office, I carpooled. We also took the Marguerite Shopping Express line to Walmart in Mountain View on the weekend instead of driving.”