Transit is a great way to go! Thouvenot, Wade & Moerchen, Inc. (TWM), an engineering firm based in St. Clair County, Illinois, provides monthly Metro Transit passes to their employees. In addition, TWM is partnering with the St. Clair County Transit District on the MetroBikeLink extension projects. Sheila Kimlinger, a transportation group manager with TWM, said “TWM recognizes the value of transit, and is proud to provide several transportation options for our employees to fit their needs.”
Heather Copeland, P.E., a project manager at TWM shared her commuter story with us. Heather is a multimodal commuter, using both MetroBus and MetroLink to get to and from work. She estimates that she has added an additional 2,000 to 2,500 steps to her day since making the switch to public transit. The increase in activity makes her feel healthier and more active.
Heather describes transit as, “a great way to experience life outside of your car.” The personal time and lower stress levels of riding into work instead of driving can afford riders a break from the daily rush and grind. She uses her commute time to catch up on emails or social media. She sometimes even unplugs and enjoys the scenery or connects with other riders.
Her route takes her near St. Mary’s hospital, where she enjoys watching riders and operators work together to make sure that people boarding the MetroBus with wheelchairs or walkers are properly seated and comfortable. The cooperation between passengers and operators to ensure these riders make it to their seats safely, have their seats secured and adjusted appropriately, and that their general well-being is looked after, brightens her day.
While Heather has many options to get to work, she feels that public transit is the most convenient. The bus stop is close to her home, and the MetroLink stop is close to her office. She told us that she has enjoyed avoiding the hassles of parking, and the seemingly endless parking garages.
A big thank you to Heather for sharing her story! We want to know how you get to work! Send us an email and tell us about your work commute at info@cmt-stl.org!