Commuter Spotlight
Alec Marsh
Walk & transit Commuter
We caught up with Alec during a residential fair at Carbon 31. He had just returned from the library — courtesy of transit — and was happy to talk about his car-free lifestyle.
“I’m thankful to live very close to a number of different routes, so it’s not difficult to get where I’m going,” he explains. “I’m also an avid walker, and if I’m going somewhere less than a mile or two, I’ll probably just walk directly. Occasionally I carpool for some errands with my fiancé, who drives a small EV… We’re just a few quick stops down the light rail to get to the airport, which makes holiday travel much easier.” he said.
Alec Marsh really likes his job at HealthPartners in Bloomington, but he wasn’t nuts about the 90-minute bus commute. So he decided to move closer — like, right next door.
When Alec and his fiancé moved to Minnesota two years ago, neither had jobs. They took an apartment in Roseville; then he was hired in Bloomington’s South Loop. Alec doesn’t own a car, so for 10 months, he rode the bus an hour and a half, to and from work.
As soon as their lease was up, they moved to Carbon 31, just on the other side of the METRO Blue Line tracks from HealthPartners. Now his commute is five minutes or less because he walks to work instead.
“I love not having to worry about the weather or traffic or the price of gas,” he says. “My 5-minute walk does not change. It gives me more time to get ready in the morning, which means I’m more prepared for the workday…and it gives me more time to relax when I get home.”
A car-free lifestyle
“I’m a fervent enthusiast of the bus and light rail. My advice for trying a new type of transportation would be to use it for something fun first – go to the library, do some shopping, explore a park, etc. Don’t try a new bus route for the first time on the way to work or to a timed event. You’ll just stress yourself out making sure you get there on time,” he says.