“How We Roll” celebrates Metro Transit employees who commute and travel to many other destinations using transit or by biking, walking or carpooling.
Michael Mechtenberg, Program Manager-Speed & Reliability
How do you get to work?
With two kids in daycare, my wife and I need to coordinate our commutes, which include a mix of driving, walking, busing and light rail.
In the morning, I take Route 134 to downtown Minneapolis and another bus to Heywood. My wife takes the kids to daycare, leaves the car in their parking lot and walks to the Green Line's Westgate Station. She takes the train from there to her job in downtown Minneapolis. In the afternoon, the process is reversed – I take light rail, walk to daycare to pick the kids up, then drive home in the car while she takes Route 134.
It sounds complicated but it's not. We've managed this for four years and counting.
What do you enjoy most about your commute?
My 20- to 30-minute commute on transit is my time to decompress. I catch up on the news, read I SPY, or just look out the window. My commutes can also be productive. I inevitably take note of ways we can improve our rider experience and bring those ideas back to the office.
How do you get around outside of your commute?
I'm lucky to live in a very walkable neighborhood and get around on foot as much as possible. We take family trips to the local brewery on Route 63 and to the YWCA on Route 21. That said, a certain amount of driving is unavoidable as the transportation system seems to be designed to make driving the default option.