Author: Vanessa Melesio

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Commuters of Glendale July 2021

Meet Chester

Commuters of Glendale is a collection of stories about commuters who carpool, vanpool, bike, walk, scoot or take transit on a typical workday.

Chester enjoys his commute on his bicycle because it helps him stay healthy and keep gas money in his pocket.
  1. Where do you work in Burbank?

Disney (1200 Central Ave)

2. How do you get to work on a typical day?

Road Bike from La Crescenta (16~20 mi / day)

3. What is the best part of your commute?

I start seeing the neighborhoods and discovering things which I’ve been missing while driving a car before.   Love the sweat and taking shower when I returned back home.

4. What/who compelled you to begin commuting this way?

Well, my commute wasn’t effective to drive per the distance and my big minivan.  After considering various options, I decided to give a shot with the bike almost abandoned years in my garage.

5. Do you have any interesting commute stories you’d like to share?

First few months were challenge with the consistent uphill (~800 elevation gain within 8 miles) on the way back home since I never had such an experience.   Honestly, I took more than five breaks and it took about two hours one way back home.   One of my friends challenged to make it an hour and I thought it’s impossible.  After one year of commuting with bike and switching to road bike, I could make it 45 min with 1 or no break!  So proud of this achievement.   Not to mention about weight loss & saving gas.  Too bad I couldn’t do that for a year during pandemic and can’t wait to come back office after this summer.

6. Are there any commuting tips that you’d like to share with people working near you?

I’d definitely recommend a bike commute to everyone.  First and foremost, safety is the most important thing in mind.  Always wait for the traffic on intersection!  Never assume the drivers finding you.  During bike commuting more than a year, I experienced few dangerous moments on the street and got used with safety-first attitude and you can enjoy this wonderful experience!

Thank you for sharing your commute story Chester!

Would you like to share your commute story? We’re collecting stories about commuters who carpool, vanpool, bike, walk, scoot or take transit on a typical workday. At Go Glendale, we love to share these stories. Please reach out to us at contact@goglendale.org to be featured in our Commuters of Glendale series.

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Commuters of Glendale May 2021

Meet Christopher Johnsen

Commuters of Glendale is a collection of stories about commuters who carpool, vanpool, bike, walk, scoot or take transit on a typical workday.

Caption: Christopher’s commute to work used to be lonely but he now has bicycle lane buddies.

1. Where do you work in Glendale?

1200 Grand Central (Disney Grand Central campus) in Glendale

2. How do you get to work on a typical day?

When in the office (I have been working from home since March, 2020) would be to bike in 2 – 3 times a week and drive in 2 – 3 times a week.

3. What is the best part of your commute?

When biking, it is riding along either the L.A. River or through Griffith Park – and on either route I see beauty, nature, wildlife and enjoy the fresh air/ I consider my bike-to-work commute through Griffith Park to be one of the best commutes in the L.A. Area (I live in Los Feliz).

Since I have been working from home, I often go for a bike ride at the end of the day which is the exact same route I would normally take to commute to the office – that is how good the commute ride is!

4. What/who compelled you to begin commuting this way?

Great way to stay healthy and to beat the rush hour traffic.

5. Do you have any interesting commute stories you’d like to share?

I remember riding along the L.A. River bike path when I first moved to L.A. in late 2010.  One day in December, 2010 I rode to work and was the only person on the bike trail for the entire ride (it was kind of cold that day, but since I moved from Seattle the cold did not bother me).  My how times have changed since the pandemic, and there is much, much more traffic on the bike path these days!

Thank you for sharing your commute story Christopher!

Would you like to share your commute story? We’re collecting stories about commuters who carpool, vanpool, bike, walk, scoot or take transit on a typical workday. At Go Glendale, we love to share these stories. Please reach out to us at contact@goglendale.org to be featured in our Commuters of Glendale series.