Bobby is a teacher at General Marshall Middle School, and her preferred means of commuting is by bicycle because it's fun!

"I regularly enjoy riding by myself, but I also really love to spread the joy and get more folks on bikes. Most of my biking efforts are to get other riders comfortable on their bikes and comfortable commuting through town! I'm a parent who rides to and from work, setting a sustainable example for my own child, my students, and my co-workers. I actually changed jobs to one a little closer to home so that I could be able to bike commute to and from work every day. It's a little more stressful than my last job, but the fact that I get to ride to and from work everyday makes it worth it. I feel I have a more balanced life than I had with my previous job.

"My employer is supportive of my commuting choice and... allows me to park in my classroom when I need to due to weather, and she is supportive of me taking a little extra time to travel to/from outside meetings when I ride my bike. My principal even lets me come to school late when I ride with students on Bike Train Wednesdays!"

Zach is relatively new to Austin, but he isn’t adding to the traffic problem. In fact, he gave up his car a few months ago. Driving stresses him out, so Zach bikes to work every day and loves getting a free workout. He has even convinced some of his coworkers to try it out!

Commute Hero comes from Capital Metro’s Austin Collective profiles. “After a life-changing experience at SXSW in 2011, Danny moved from Cincinnati to Austin to launch his startup. ‘I love the people of Austin and the accepting environment in this city,’ Danny says. ‘I got to know the city by riding my bike, but I often take the bus to go further and stay cool in the summer.’”

Melissa and Abraham are carpool buddies and coworkers. Together, they save gas and save time while they listen to Jason and Deb’s morning show on the radio. Abraham says he likes feeling like he is part of the solution, not the problem. Their best advice? Just give carpooling a try for a day or two, and see if you like it. Melissa promises: it will grow on you!