Bus drivers bike to work

Posted on August 12, 2010 by .
Pin It submit to reddit

Here’s a photo of the King County Metro employee parking area in Washington state.

Metro Bike Racks

The photographer — a bike riding bus driver for King County Metro — writes:

No, not all bus drivers hate cyclists. Some of us actually bike to work. This picture was actually taken on a fairly light day. Also, it was taken later in the afternoon after some drivers from the morning had already left. On the clearest days, the bike racks are pretty full. There are plenty of us who bike year round too.

Remember that bus drivers can work odd hours — King County Metro begins bus operations before 5 AM and runs them until past midnight. The early morning drivers can’t take the bus to work, and the closing shift can’t go home on the bus.

Velo Bus Driver blogs about his experience as both a cyclist and a bus driver for a large public transit agency. In his current blog post for example, he reminds cyclists that it’s a really bad idea to pass large vehicles on the right.



See also:

  1. Bike To Work Santa Cruz County
  2. Happy Bike To Work Day
  3. Seconds from Disaster!
  4. Fun at work


  • http://twitter.com/gussynichols Luke N

    That is great to have someone blogging on what it is like to drive a large vehicles and the bike perspective.

  • http://lefteyedgirl.wordpress.com/ reese

    I really don't think that the bus drivers are evil, but that a lot of cyclists just aren't sure how to deal with a bus on the road. Should I pass on the right where the bike lane is? What about if the bus is making a stop and is IN the bike lane? Should I stop behind the bus and wait or should I just pass to the left? You know how they have those “Wide right turn” and “Do not pass on right side” and “If you can't see my mirror, I can't see you” stickers on trucks? Maybe they need some kind of similar stickers on the backs of buses so at least it's a reminder to tell bikes what to do.

  • http://twitter.com/VeloBusDriver VeloBusDriver

    Good to hear it. You would be amazed at how compatible the skills of cyclists and commercial driving are. Another driver shared with me that he felt cyclists and motorcyclists make the best bus drivers. Since we are used to being somewhat invisible to drivers, we are able to predict, and thus avoid, many potential hazards.

    That said, I can safely ignore broken glass on the road when I'm driving a bus.

  • doug_in_seattle

    Hey velobusdriver, is that bike in the foreground yours? If so, I see it around town frequently.

  • http://twitter.com/lovingthebike Loving The Bike

    It's nice to see that some bus drivers take bikes to work. Thanks for pointing that out and also for sharing the link to the bus driver's blog.

    Darryl