Carrying the Torch Through Memphis: Commute Options

What is the current focus of Commute Options?

Currently, our main focus is on our Commute Options Schools Program. Our goal is to increase the number of students walking and biking to school. We provide education and outreach to schools, and because our work is grant-funded, we are able to offer these services free of charge to schools. Some of our most recent projects include Walking School Buses, PE Bike Curriculum, and Traffic Garden STEM lessons.

How did Commute Options start? 

Commute Options began in 2017 as an employer-based program to support employees that were using transit, biking, and walking for their commutes. Our program helped employers provide incentives to people choosing these alternatives over driving. In 2023, we shifted our focus to the schools program, which similarly aims to promote walking and biking over car trips to and from school.

Why is Commute Options located in Memphis?

With Memphis being a very sprawling and car-dependent city, we see an opportunity to provide transportation options other than relying on cars. We have a great start with our bike lanes and Greenlines, but we have a lot of room to fill in gaps that would make walking and biking our city easier and safer.

How can Memphians get involved with Commute Options or volunteer?

One of our big goals for MSCS is to engage the school communities in Walking School Buses. A Walking School Bus is a group of students, supervised by adult volunteers, walking on a predetermined route with planned stops along the way to school. Walking School Buses help build a sense of community and provide safety in numbers for the walkers. They provide a great volunteer opportunity for the community. If someone is interested in helping with an existing Walking School Bus or starting one at their child’s school, they can always reach out to us to start the process with their school administration.

What are some big events or fundraisers that Commute Options has annually, and how can people contribute?

We help promote National Walk & Roll to School Day in the fall and National Bike & Roll to School Day in the spring. This year’s Bike & Roll to School Day is May 8, 2024. We’re always looking for schools to participate in these events and for parents and school volunteers to help facilitate the events. It’s also a great opportunity for local businesses to sponsor schools that want to participate. If people are interested in hosting events at their schools, we encourage them to reach out to us for resources and help in planning the events.

Tell us about your organization’s dreams and goals for the short-term and long-term? What changes does your organization hope to see or bring about? 

Short-term, we’d love to grow our Walking School Bus program. Treadwell Middle School is our pilot school, and we hope that by the start of the fall semester, we’ll have many more schools interested in starting their own as well. They’re a great way to build a sense of community. They help students gain independence and provide an alternative to parents who may not have the option to drive their students every day or have the option of a traditional school bus.

Long-term, we hope to see a more robust public transit system for Memphis. We hope to see a shift in people’s mentality when it comes to navigating our city. Success will look like fewer vehicles on the road, and many more people walking, biking, and taking public transit.

Tell us a little about you: How did you get involved with Commute Options?

I came on board with Innovate Memphis as the Commute Options Schools Program Manager at the end of June 2023. I started my career as a school counselor with Shelby County Schools and worked with the district for eight years. Then, I made a complete change and spent the next eight years working in finance. Eventually I realized I missed working with students and started looking for work that would allow me to give back to our community in a more meaningful way. I knew the role at Commute Options would be a perfect fit, and I can truly say I love this job. In my current role, I get to work with students and educators and I also get to work with local government and other community organizations to help improve transit for all.

To learn more about Commute Options or to support their work, please visit www.commuteoptionsmemphis.com.

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