Learn how Carrie commutes smarter, helping our region reduce traffic congestion and vehicle emissions!
Carrie carpooling with her husband Andy
With no public transportation options between downtown and our home in western Travis County, my husband and I aim to carpool four days a week in an electric vehicle (Nissan Leaf), dropping off and picking up our kid at daycare together. Although my time in the car is slightly longer compared to driving myself, it gives us over an hour to discuss our week’s plans and priorities, so we never feel like time is wasted if we hit a traffic jam. If we run out of topics of conversation, I am lucky to be the only family member who doesn’t get carsick when reading, so as a passenger I can always use my phone to: get a head start on the workday by checking emails; download a book or magazine from the library for myself; or find interesting news items, and read them out loud for discussion. One of our challenges is also a benefit: we have to be much more organized in the mornings to ensure none of us are late, a goal we are mostly successful at despite none of us being morning-people. I’m so glad we’ve pushed ourselves to do this more often, thanks in large part to the City of Austin’s rewards for more frequent alternative commutes. – Carrie D.
Thanks Carrie, Commute Solutions loves that you are able to incorporate carpooling into your commuting behaviors and hope that your story will inspire others to give it a try.
