New Decade = New Commute

Each new year brings the promise of a clean slate and a chance to break bad habits - or at least change them a little!

So as we teeter on on the precipice of the Rip-Roaring 2020's, it may be a good time to think about what's working in your daily life and what...could be reevaluated.

Do you lay in bed and think "work wouldn't be so bad if I didn't have that commute!" Maybe it's time you explore the possibility of teleworking with your company.

Do you get to work tired and stressed out, like you've already had a day before your day starts? Perhaps biking to work is something to consider. Pedal out that stress and arrive at the office energized from a practical cardio session!

Perhaps you'd like to get a jump on responding to those pesky after-hours emails. Look into taking transit. Many buses, such as the Ride On Extra offer free wifi and USB charging ports.

If you need help figuring out what's right for your commute, just contact us or visit our website for help. We can even schedule a time to visit your office and answer your questions in person.

Meet BTS' New Employer Outrach Representative: Brandan Stucky

Being in love with photography, videography, and transportation his whole life, Brandan Stuckey joins us from the Magic City, Birmingham, AL, where he wore several hats to put all of those attributes together. He most recently served as Community Engagement Manager for the City of Birmingham’s bikeshare program. Brandan Stuckey is a charismatic leader and a creative problem solver with a career spanning over 15 years of communications experience in social media, television, and public relations. He’s spent the last 10 years in the transportation industry transforming how people move, easing their commute, and coordinating the messages they receive on their way. He’s built his career on 4 core values: Fun, Adventure, Community Engagement, and Technology.

Stuckey got his start as a video journalist at WFSU-TV in Tallahassee, FL. This role afforded him the opportunity to travel all over the state providing coverage of government related projects and developing relationships with elected officials. Having an affinity for transportation began to take shape, career wise, in his next role as he was charged with developing the Birmingham/Shuttlesworth Int’l Airport’s social media messaging for its $14 billion Terminal Modification. This was a 5 year process that taught him the value of community and the collective uplift needed for a regional partnership to be successful.

In 2016, Stuckey left his airport position to become a managing liaison for the community development of Birmingham’s Bikeshare system. As the Community Engagement Manager, he helped coordinate community partners, stakeholders, and several nonprofits to adopt a transit friendly lifestyle by incorporating electric bicycles into their daily commute. His work involved engaging with the community through, events, bike rides, subsidy program management, social media posts, and mitigating complex customer related issues.

Mr. Stuckey moved to Rockville in August of 2019 after marrying his wife, Lauren Stuckey, an MCPS administrator, in Destin, FL. Both are avid NFL fans, he being a die-hard Miami Dolphins fan and she being a Washington Redskins fan. The two met while their two favorite franchises faced off in 2015 at FedEx Field. They both enjoy spending time together playing tennis, droning, cooking, and traveling to new places. In his spare time, Stuckey operates as a licensed professional drone pilot, helping organizations develop their brand and connect with their audience through visual aerial storytelling. He has a partnership with the Pearl Project Institute in Reston, VA that hosts summer drone camps, teaching kids how to fly professionally. He is a published author of one book, “The Last Words Will Be Spoken,” a proud graduate of the University of South Alabama, and a lifelong member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.

Stuckey is excited for this new role at BTS/BUP and says “let’s hit the ground running!”

Sitting in traffic is so last decade! It's bad for the environment and awful for your mood.

Make the Roaring 2020's your time to try a new commute!

Employer Recognition Awards

Commuter Connections (part of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments) is currently seeking nominations for their Annual Employer Recognition Awards for companies who are leaders in providing transit benefits to their employees, marketing transit to their employees, or have a successful telework program.

If you would like for your company to be considered, please contact Brandan Stucky at BTS. Brandan will help you draft your company’s nomination using information in your Traffic Mitigation Plan. The deadline for nominations is February 1, 2020!

It's Snow Time!

In my experience, December Winter is the fun Winter. If it snows, it adds to the ambiance of holiday cheer. January Winter has had it with the cheer. It's not messing around with that nonsense.

So with January Winter getting ready to be the Debbie Downer we didn't need, the Montgomery County Department of Transportation has put together a Special Snow Edition of their Go Montgomery newsletter. It will hopefully answer all your snow related questions - except for how to survive snow days with your kids!