I live in Saratoga Springs, and work at the Rotterdam Industrial Park, in Schenectady County. My normal daily commute is about 25 miles each way.

Since the CDTA Saratoga to Schenectady bus service started, I have had in my mind that I really should investigate if riding the bus could work for me. This last winter, I researched it, I found that the ride from Saratoga to Schenectady sounded easy enough, but connections for the last 3-plus miles to my office in Rotterdam were just too poor to tempt me to try it.

I had noticed that there were bike racks on the front of the Route 50 buses, so when the spring weather broke, I got my bicycle out of my shed, tuned it up, and decided to give it a try. I live on the southwest side of Saratoga, so now, on mornings when the weather forecast is good, I ride my bike a mile to the nearest bus stop. When the bus arrives it takes me about 20 seconds to load my bike on the sturdy, well-designed bike rack. I pay my $1 bus fare and ride about 21 miles to downtown Schenectady. From there, I ride my bike to my office, either taking the long (5 mile) route along the bike path that runs next to the Mohawk River then up the hill past the Rotterdam Mall, or the shorter route, straight up the Broadway hill. Neither hill is all that bad; besides, I really need the exercise and I enjoy the fresh air.

It takes me a little longer to get to work, but I can read, sleep or visit with others on the bus, and some of my commute doubles as my workout time.

So far, bus-biking to work has been remarkably enjoyable. There is a friendly group of “regulars” on the bus, who work at Schenectady GE and other downtown businesses. There are only spots for 2 bikes per bus, so if the biking part it gets too popular, CDTA will need to address that, but so far I haven’t seen anyone turned away.

There are lots of reasons this is working for me. I’m reducing my carbon footprint, saving gas (and money), reducing miles on my car, getting 30-plus minutes (total) of exercise as part of my daily commute, and feeling good about it all. Sometimes being green can be a win/win/win/win/win.

About the author: Doug Haller works for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation in the Schenectady Regional office. In recent years, he has been the administrative director of the Dance Flurry Festival, held in Saratoga Springs in February.

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Have you changed your commuting habits? Do you have a commuting story to tell? Comment below, or e-mail greenpoint@dailygazette.net.