‘Why I Ride‘ is a series where Metro employees share their transit routines – read more about the concept here.

Name: Priscilla Jimenez
Position: Graphic Design

How often do you take transit?

Five days a week.

If so, what lines/routes?

The Silver Line.

Are you car-free? If so, why? If not, why not?

Not completely. I ride my bike as much as I can, but lugging around my laptop as well as other things on my back isn’t too much fun. I use my car about one day a week.

Do you use any other alternative transportation (bicycle, rideshare, etc)?

I have two bikes. A fixie and a road bike.

What is your job at Metro?

Graphic Designer for the Communications Department. I design everything from passes to billboards.

Do you think being a regular Metro rider is important to your job?

Absolutely. Especially with design! What better way to design for something than actually being immersed in it. Riding the bus allows me to see if people are actually paying attention to our designs.

Why do you love transit?

The number one reason is because of the state of our environment. Number two, it’s cheaper. Number three, it’s faster (sometimes), but in my case it’s two or three times as fast. And last but not least, it really makes me appreciate my beautiful city for all of it’s glory, grime, and taco trucks.

‘Why I Ride‘ is a series where Metro employees share their transit routines – read more about the concept here.

Name: Dave Sotero
Position: Public Relations

How often do you take transit?

Five days per week

If so, what lines/routes?

Antelope Valley Line [Metrolink], Metro Rapid 734.  I also regularly take Red Line and Orange Line.

Are you car-free? If so, why? If not, why not?

I’m car-light.  I’m working to reduce automobile Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) as much as possible.  I’ve recently started shopping and errand-running by bike to reduce the number of my regular auto trips.  It’s fun!

Do you use any other alternative transportation (bicycle, rideshare, etc)?

Bicycle.

Do you think being a regular Metro rider is important to your job?

I think it’s a necessity! Rather than preaching mode shift from an ivory tower, you are actually part of the solution and a voice for change. It’s also important to personally put your butt in a bus or train seat and experience the system the way our customers do.

Why do you love transit?

I love transit because it transforms the public space and creates a better quality of life for those who use it. I love when transit interfaces well with pedestrian and bicycle facilities to create a more holistic multi-modal solution.  The Metro Orange Line is the best example of that on the Metro System.  We need more.

Is there anything else you’d like to add (anecdote, advice, etc)?

Transit, combined with bicycle commuting, really is the best way to reach your destination.  While it may take years and hundreds of millions of dollars for a transit line to be extended, you can get there today by incorporating the two modes.  Why wait?

Inspired by feedback from my post earlier this month on how to go car-free in L.A. I’ve taken it upon myself to find Metro employees who take transit regularly and find out why they do it and how it plays into the job they do for the agency.

The goal is two-fold: I want to share with readers that there are Metro employees who actually ride the system they run and I want to encourage those Metro employees who don’t ride regularly to look to their colleagues for inspiration, and hopefully join them on the trains and buses.

So over the next few weeks look for regular ‘Why I Ride’ postings as I hunt for those Metro employees who ‘talk the talk, and walk the walk’.

To start things off, and to share the general format, is yours truly:

Name: Fred Camino
Position: Lifestyle Blogger, The Source

How often do you take transit?

Essentially, anytime I need to get somewhere that’s beyond walking distance, I take transit. I live and work in downtown Los Angeles so a lot of my mobility comes from simply walking to the places I need to be – my apartment is within close walking distance to a major grocery store, countless restaurants and bars, my favorite taco truck, the gym, the library, post office, a movie theater and more. But when I need to venture out beyond downtown’s confines I have at my access – and withing walking distance – the Red, Purple and Blue Lines and a myriad of different bus lines that can take me to virtually any corner of  L.A.

If so, what lines/routes?

When heading to Metro HQ I hop on the Red or Purple Line. I often take Metro 76 to The Brewery in Lincoln Heights where one of my close business colleagues is based. On the weekends, you’ll often find me on a Metro 2 or 4 for late night excursions to Echo Park and Silver Lake. Pasadena is my favorite place to indulge in rampant consumerism (Apple Store!) and the Gold Line facilitates it. Those are my regular routes, but depending on where I need to go I’ll hop on any line that takes me there.

Are you car-free? If so, why? If not, why not?

I’m car-free and have been for over five years now. I got rid of my car because driving in L.A. stressed me out – chalk it up to the combination of traffic, parking (the lack of it), the expenses, left-hand turns and maniacs behind the wheel. I also happened to live adjacent to the Hollywood/Western Red Line Station in Hollywood and in it discovered a much nicer mode of mobility. I became a train rider, and soon after I found myself on Metro buses. Once I discovered public transit, I discovered L.A. I haven’t looked back since.

Do you use any other alternative transportation (bicycle, rideshare, etc)?

I own a bicycle – it helps me get to those places that are too far to walk but are too close or too inconvenient to get to by transit. I’m a member of Zipcar and LAXCarShare (although I probably be dropping Zipcar soon as LAXCarShare’s vehicles are more convenient to my location) for those rare times when I need a set of wheels. I have no problem calling a taxi when it’s needed. And if a friend wants me to sit shotgun in their ride, I’m game too.

Do you think being a regular Metro rider is important to your job?

Seeing as how I’m the lifestyle blogger, I think being a regular Metro rider – and car-free to boot – is really helpful in building trust with readers. Having relied on the transit system for five years for virtually all my mobility needs has given me a library of knowledge, insight and stories that I’m eager to share – it also means I’m well aware of the shortcomings of the system and can be upfront about the challenges that come with the lifestyle.

Why do you love transit?

I love transit because transit is freedom. Freedom from the privately owned car and all of its (pricey) trappings. It’s a little ironic since the private car is sold as a everyone’s ticket to freedom, but I don’t buy it. I love hopping off a bus with nothing but my backpack on knowing that I’ve reached my destination without having to search and pay for a place to store my 1-ton ball and chain.

Is there anything else you’d like to add (anecdote, advice, etc)?

Don’t be afraid of:

1. A little bit of walking (it’s actually really really easy).

2. Riding the bus (it’s not THAT bad).