Changing the Way We Travel to Work

I started cycling to work after my company installed secure bike storage and showers. Before that, I had considered it, but I was worried about arriving untidy and having nowhere safe to leave the bike. The first week was harder than expected because I had not realised how stressful busy junctions would feel. I nearly gave up after one wet morning, but another cyclist at work showed me a quieter route. That made the biggest difference. I still take the train when the weather is terrible, so I am not trying to prove anything about cycling. What I like most now is the sense of having already done something energetic before the working day begins. I now keep lights and waterproof clothing at the office so that an unexpected change in weather does not automatically force me to abandon the bicycle. In summer the changing room is busy, but colleagues usually stagger arrival times enough that it never becomes a serious inconvenience.

My train journey is longer than driving would be on a good day, but I prefer it because the time is predictable and useful. I answer messages, read reports and sometimes simply listen to music. I used to drive, and the traffic itself was not the main problem; it was never knowing whether the journey would take forty minutes or ninety. People often assume I chose the train for environmental reasons, and I am pleased that it is probably better in that respect, but that was not my original motivation. The practical advantage is that I arrive less irritated. I also like that I can make progress on small tasks before I reach the office. I use the same train often enough to recognise which carriages are quieter, which makes it easier to read or concentrate on detailed work. I sometimes save longer documents for the journey because uninterrupted reading is easier there than between meetings at my desk.

Walking to work began as a temporary solution when my car was being repaired. I live just over three kilometres from the office, and I discovered that the journey was shorter than I had imagined. At first I treated it as lost time, but after a few weeks I noticed that I was sleeping better and arriving more alert. I now deliberately leave my phone in my bag for most of the walk. That gives me a quiet period between home and work, which I had never realised I needed. The only real disadvantage is carrying a laptop in heavy rain. I have no interest in walking faster or measuring the distance; for me the value is mental as much as physical. The route passes a park and a canal, so I sometimes vary it slightly when I have extra time. On very busy mornings the walking route is actually more dependable than any vehicle because road delays make little difference to me.

I changed to the bus when parking charges near my office increased sharply. The route is direct, and on most mornings it works well. The frustrating part is that the timetable looks more reliable than the service actually is. A bus can disappear from the display with no explanation, and then two arrive together. I have learned to leave earlier on days when I have an important meeting. Even so, I prefer the bus to searching for a parking space and paying for it. I also recognise several regular passengers now, which has made the journey unexpectedly sociable. I would recommend the bus, but only to someone whose schedule can tolerate occasional uncertainty. The service improved after a new bus lane opened, but delays elsewhere on the route still make the final arrival time difficult to predict. A real-time app helps, but I no longer trust its predictions completely and always keep some extra time in reserve.