Most Valuable Commuter

Tyler Blackburn - Alorica

Tyler is a Subject Matter Expert for Alorica in Spokane Valley and has been riding the bus since middle school!

Tyler doesn’t have a drivers’ license and has never owned a car! He feels using the bus is way more cost effective then owning a car. He takes advantage of the free employee bus pass program at Alorica. Not only is his transportation free, he feels much safer and doesn’t get stressed out before getting to work. Tyler admits, “I get distracted very easily and stressed out behind the wheel of a car. The community should really thank me for taking the bus”.

Tyler does have a few obstacles to overcome by riding the bus. Tyler was one of the employees who transitioned from the downtown site to the valley last January. When he moved to the valley site, his commute went from 1 bus ride to 2 …..and a longer commute. Every day he walks about ½ mile to catch his first bus and during the week, he only has about a 10-minute wait to catch his 2nd bus. However, on Saturday and Sunday that wait increases to about 50 minutes. Since the move to the valley office, Tyler’s commute has gone from 30 minutes to about an hour and a half, one way commute… that’s 3 hours of commuting each day!

The weather element is also another obstacle that can be challenging. Not only does he need to make sure he gives himself more time to get to the bus stop when the weather is bad, but also makes sure he is walking a safe route.

ETC, Maureen McElroy, says “Tyler is a huge supporter of our CTR program. He constantly tells other employees how great our program is and encourages them to give a commute alternative a try. He likes to share with others that he never has to worry about parking and the stress of driving. Let someone else do the driving… Just sit back and relax!