At our company meeting earlier this month, Microsoft announced a network of dedicated buses for employees.  This bus system provides a direct route (no transfer) from several popular Seattle neighborhoods to the Microsoft Redmond campus.  Luckily, my neighborhood made the cut and the bus will pick up 1 block from my house.

The new Microsoft bus service is equipped with Wifi giving me internet access throughout my entire commute.  This is great because I’ll be able to catch up on work during my commute instead of trying to finish it off before I leave for the day, or back at home in the evening when my commute is over.  I’m hoping it’s also going to force me to keep stricter hours at the office since I’m now scheduled to leave on the 5:45pm bus every night.

Call it inspiration from my involvement with Green is Sexy (GIS), but I’ve been constantly trying to find ways to live a greener lifestyle.  My efforts started off relatively easy by trying to follow the GIS tips of the day. If I can succesfully take the commuter bus at least 3 days a week, I’ll be making a huge impact on my carbon footprint from my car.  As much as I love my car, I can’t help but continually think about the impact it’s having on the environment especially in stop-and-go traffic 5 days a week.

Due to personal commitments I have on the eastside, I don’t think I’ll be able to take the bus every day to work, but with the right planning I should be able to do at least the 3 days.

Wish me luck!