Commute Challenge 2018

I’ll bet I had more fun commuting during September 2018 than you did.

In April 2017 I gave myself the challenge of commuting to work using a different method every workday for a month – twenty ways in twenty days! The write up and video are here. It was great fun and it also served as a joyous celebration of the many ways to make commuting more fun than sitting alone in traffic.

In September 2018 I did the same thing, with nineteen new methods. It was a lot of work but a huge amount of fun, and I’ve got the video to prove it. I got assistance from friends, coworkers, and strangers in ways that I would not have thought possible, and the second commute challenge actually worked.

Enjoy the videos and I hope you consider mixing up your commute occasionally, even if you can’t get your friends to carry you in a litter.

Media coverage:

• Five minute talk at Ignite Seattle #38 about the commute on day 12
• Radio interview about Ignite Seattle #38 and the commute challenge
• Kirkland Reporter
• Kiro7 chopper footage
• Kiro7 interview and high-heels expose (featuring footage of paddle board, off-road unicycle, powered paraglider, litter carry, bus, seaplane, high heels, and carpool)
• 425 Business Magazine article that includes coverage of Commute Challenge 2017
• KBCS radio interview about Commute Challenge 2017
• Bike All Over blog post about Commute Challenge 2017
• Commute segment on King5 in 2021

The #commutechallenge video playlist is available at tinyurl.com/commutechallengevideos and here’s a calendar that links to all of the videos:

Much thanks to:

• Day 1: Diane (paddle board carry) and Paul (paddle board loan)
• Day 2: Nick (e-bike loan)
• Day 6: Greg (driver) and Michael (passenger)
• Day 7: June (videographer and Kirkland’s Transportation Strategic Advisor)
• Day 10: Bobby (e-skateboard loan) and Brian (videographer)
• Day 11: Caleb (pilot) and Steve (equipment loan)
• Day 12: Camille (organizer!) and Cathy, Diane, Gina, Greg, Michelle, Steve, Sue, and Wilf (litter bearers)
• Day 13: Ian (e-scooter loan)
• Day 14: Kiro7 (for great coverage)
• Day 15: Jamin and Brian (co-commuters, wheelchair loan)
• Day 16: Mike (pilot and pedal/sail kayak loan)
• Day 17: Tami (hand cycle delivery), Dave (hand cycle loan), and Brian (videographer)
• Day 18: Kirkland Police department for a ride in their electric UTV (Utility Terrain Vehicle)
• Day 19: Greg (videographer), CJ (videographer), and Filip (pusher)

The Brian who lent me a wheelchair and co-commuted that day is not the same Brian who was a videograper. But, they are both Brian B. so I gave up on disambiguating.

And of course the biggest thanks go to my supportive wife Helen who did video recording, travel planning, video critiquing, and much more.

Here’s the summary video from September 2018:

Commute challenge 2018 summary

And here’s the video from April 2017:

Commute challenge: the video

This post can be found through https://tinyurl.com/commutechallenge2018

@psteinb_ promised to do the commute challenge in Dresden in May, 2019, and you can see how that worked out by following @dresdencommute or seeing a summary here.

And also, if you can avoid a long commute, you should, even if it means having a smaller house or a job that pays less, because the shorter commute will make you happier, says science.