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r next staff profile features Aly Dyson, Sustainable Transportation Associate and Safe Routes to School Coordinator and passionate anti-idling warrior. OK, maybe not warrior but she means business when it comes to air quality.
Q: What attracted you to this job?
Aly: It involves getting people to think about their actions and how their everyday life impacts the environment. Without someone else pointing it out, people don’t realize that almost everything they do is a choice. They need to decide if what they are doing is the best choice for them. I just try to get people to think about their commute, how they travel to the store or a friend’s house, or to school.
Q: Why is transportation important for you?
Aly: Everyone uses transportation in their daily life, but many people don’t realize how closely it affects the air we all breathe. Having clean air is important to me and it is something that I want all future generations (including my kids, grandkids, etc.) to be able to enjoy.
Q: What is a favorite thing about your job?
Aly: Having many different projects to work on, I get to help and interact with a lot of people.
Q: What motivates you to want to change the way people commute?
Aly: To protect the air that we all need to survive.
Q: Where do you stand on the climate change debate? Do you believe climate change is real?
Aly: Yes, climate change is real. I believe that the longer we wait to act, locally, nationally, and worldwide, the more difficult it will be to reverse the effects. It is not the people making decisions now that will suffer; it is future generations that will have to live with our mistakes and inaction.
Q: What was the best moment of your life?
Aly: Too many to pick just one; spending time outdoors with my family.
Q: Favorite transportation/commuting story
Aly: My best commute ever: Walking downstairs and turning on the computer. I love my days telecommuting! Worse commute ever: I once had a commute with 37 stop lights. It was horrible on a daily basis.
Q: Favorite commuting app/gadget
Aly: I do not have a favorite app; I am really hooked on my air quality alerts though.
Q: What else would you like to do if you were not working in transportation?
Aly: State or County Air Quality Inspector.
Q: Pet Peeve:
Aly: People leaving their cars idling! Just turn it off! You are wasting $ and gas, it is polluting the air and it is dangerous! The car could roll or a child could get in and put the car in gear, the car could be stolen. There is no point! (Warned you she means business about air quality!)
Q: What do you like to do in your spare time?
Aly: I love to go hiking or just go out and take a walk in the woods. It is very relaxing and peaceful. I enjoy going to parks with my family.