--- title: "We Asked, You Answered: Public Transit Commuter Strategies" id: "49316" type: "post" slug: "we-asked-you-answered-public-transit-commuter-strategies" published_at: "2020-02-05T22:17:09+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-17T02:58:00+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2020/02/05/we-asked-you-answered-public-transit-commuter-strategies/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2020/02/05/we-asked-you-answered-public-transit-commuter-strategies.md" excerpt: "Not everyone has a 30-minute car ride ahead of them. We asked readers who commute to work by train, bus, or other form of non-driving transportation what they do to pass the time. Here’s what they said." taxonomy_category: - "Learning" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "productivity" - "reading" - "telecommuting" - "Workplace" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Employee (Non-Manager)" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » We Asked, You Answered: Public Transit Commuter Strategies Not everyone is stuck behind the wheel on the way to the office. Some might take the train, or a bus. Others still might bike to work or even walk. So, when we asked our readers what they did during their commutes, we got a lot of answers from [folks taking their trip into their own hands](https://associationsnow.com/2020/01/we-asked-you-answered-making-the-most-drive-time/) , along with more from those who went the public transit route. Read on for some highlights. ### Maria Matthews *Grassroots Programs/Government Relations, American Society of Civil Engineers* On days I Metro to and from work, I like to clean out email on my phone. I save up a day or two of newsletters and other helpful reads that I can’t get to during the workday. On the occasion I drive to work, I love to listen to NPR. While I love listening to the news, I really enjoy their topical stories on odd items I might not otherwise encounter. ### Kim Johnston *Director of Membership, Affiliate Relations and Governance, National Association for College Admission Counseling* I have about a 45-minute commute that’s a combination of walking, Metro, and occasionally bus. I have an active Audible subscription, and I look forward to listening to audiobooks every day. I almost always listen to novels or short stories, but occasionally I enjoy a biography. ### Sarah Beacock *CEO, Nuclear Institute* I have a 40-minute train ride into central London when I like to read a good book (currently *The Overstory* by Richard Powers) or catch up on a box set on my phone. Sometimes I even get some work-related reading done! ### Sarah Lawler *Assistant Director of Marketing, Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine* My new hourlong commute on Metro gives me time to scan my work email and delete the messages I know I don’t need, read the ASAE community digests, and I just started to listen to podcasts for the first time. ### Felicia Owens *Governance Manager, Society of American Archivists* I ride the train (CTA in Chicago) about 40 minutes each way, and my favorite pastime is knitting! I’ll put on a podcast or some music and knit along on my current project (recently, socks). It is incredibly relaxing, both to start my day on the right note and to melt away the flurry of work before I get home. ### Serenity Greenfield *Head of Content, Membership, and Marketing, Exponent Philanthropy* I take the train and bus to get to the city. As a busy mom, I use the downtime to sleep or catch up with my neighbors. It’s a great time to unplug, look around, have a face-to-face conversation, or take a short snooze. (jimfeng/iStock/Getty Images Plus) [Ernie Smith](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Tags: [#productivity](https://associationsnow.com/tag/productivity/) [#reading](https://associationsnow.com/tag/reading/) [#telecommuting](https://associationsnow.com/tag/telecommuting/) [#Workplace](https://associationsnow.com/tag/workplace/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [VideoProductivity tip: Take advantage of telecommuting optionsJanuary 3, 2017](https://associationsnow.com/2017/01/03/productivity-tip-take-advantage-of-telecommuting-options/) - [VideoAmerican College of Emergency Physicians: ACEP Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation ProgramSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/american-college-of-emergency-physicians-acep-geriatric-emergency-department-accreditation-program/) - [PodcastAssociations NOW Presents Practical AI-How Associations Are Putting It To WorkJanuary 29, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/01/29/associations-now-presents-practical-ai-how-associations-are-putting-it-to-work/) - [PodcastWhy Associations Must Rethink Learning and Community TogetherMarch 26, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/03/26/why-associations-must-rethink-learning-and-community-together/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2020%2F02%2F05%2Fwe-asked-you-answered-public-transit-commuter-strategies%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !