Name: Jamie Sloan
Occupation: Environmental Scientist
Employer: Landau Associates
Gets around by: Walking mainly. Biking when weather permits and driving when required.
Where do you live and where do you work? Hanna Heights and Commerce Building in downtown Tacoma
How do you get there? Walk (or bike)
How does it all add up? How much money or time do you save? I have saved myself each month about $50 in gas (I drive a Prius, so I’d imagine that’s less savings than the average commuter) and 33 hours in commute time moving downtown, within walking distance from work.
What’s in it for you? Time! And not having to spend 1.5+ hours each day stressed in traffic. I now get to enjoy the subtleties in life (café smells, chirping birds, movement of the wind) on my walks to and from work.
Do you have any tips for people who may be trying these modes for the first time? Walking may take longer to reach your destination than driving, but I’ve viewed that time as a chance to recharge – not to think about all of the things I have to do or recap the daily events, but just enjoy what’s going on around me at that moment. A “stop and smell the roses” type of thing. You miss out on this when you’re always rushing to get to the next place or complete the next task.