Phil's Commute Story
Bio About Who You Are and What You Do for Work
My name is Phil Trice. I live in Tonbridge, I am 64 years old and a Project Support Officer at KCC Public Health. My job involves working closely with health partnership groups within each of the Kent districts and boroughs which also means a number of in-person visits each month to venues around Kent to attend meetings.
What Inspired You to Actively Travel to Work?
For some time I have wanted to lessen my environmental impact, become a little fitter and not contribute to our roads being jammed with traffic. I had fairly successfully managed to do this in my neighbourhood by cycling into town for shopping and local appointments such as dentists and doctors, but for longer trips, I always went back to the car. I didn’t even think about there being a better way even though being stuck in a car for sometimes more than an hour was a clear waste of time as well as unhealthy.
How Did You Make the Change From Never Using Your Car to Using Other Travel Methods?
Promotional messaging within KCC urging staff to consider active travel eventually got through to me and once my mind had been opened I realised it might work. The distances and locations involved meant taking the train and to avoid the journey taking too long I would need to cycle, rather than walk, at the start and end.
Initially, I needed to prove to myself that it was practical and that trains were reliable enough. There would not be much point in travelling in a better way if I missed meetings and couldn’t do my job.
Where and How Do You Actively Travel to Your Destinations?
I started by using what I already had (a full-size bike and an OK lock) and plotted my routes using Google Maps (no good using Apple Maps as it struggles with cycle routes). I found that most times I could arrive on time and that trains are surprisingly punctual. By cycling at either end I removed the uncertainty of catching buses and taxis; the more parts of the journey you are in control of the better. It didn’t always work but then neither does driving by car. I have now completely avoided using my car for work trips for several months.
Putting a full-size bike on the train can be a problem depending on the type of train. Most times I would have to stand it in the doorway which meant when approaching every station I would have to go back to my bike to make sure the doors weren’t opening on that side, to prevent the bike from falling out or onto someone else. All perfectly manageable but definitely room for improvement. I now have a folding bike that I can keep right next to me which makes the whole endeavour so much easier and stress-free. It also means I don’t have to find somewhere to securely lock it up at my destination as it goes into the meeting room with me.
How Does Active Travel Positively Impact Your Life?
The more I cycle the fitter and healthier I am and I do notice the difference. There is also a mental boost from being in the open air rather than sitting in a car for a long journey, this puts me in a better place with a clearer head for the meeting ahead. An unexpected bonus is that I get to talk to random strangers on the train which is all the nicer in this age of working from home. It also means I can work and eat on the train so although the journey often takes longer, overall it is more time efficient. And of course, I get to feel good for lessening my negative impact on our wonderful planet.