Welcome to our first WMATA Member Spotlight! Each week for the duration of this series, we will highlight one member of our crew. This week, Alex Koenen shares what got him into bicycle commuting and how that inspired him to advocate for active transportation.
Unicycles – The Gateway to Bicycling
Most of my adult life, I have been a car commuter. In 2023, the company I worked for repealed their post-COVID flexible hybrid schedule and went fully in-office. After having some near misses in traffic while driving, I was looking to commute without contributing to or dealing with rush hour traffic. I committed to using the bus and stuck with it for many months, but the 2-hour rides were challenging.
When I saw the MN e-bike rebate program announced for June of 2024, that got me thinking a bicycle would work well either on its own or in combination with Metro Transit. I was one of many who tried to apply but could not get a rebate. Instead, I took the money I would have spent with the rebate and purchased an electric unicycle (half the wheels, half the price). That unicycle was my gateway to becoming a bicycle commuter. It allowed me to explore bicycle routes up to ~20 miles without worry of being exhausted or sweaty. It was also small enough for me to easily take with me on the train or bus.
Eventually, I started wishing that I could get some exercise on my commute and I wanted something that I felt confident using in the winter. So, in October 2025, I got a new bicycle after not having one for many years. I started riding just as the weather was turning, fitted it with some winter tires and commuted some days via bicycle through the winter. While I only made it a few days that winter, I hope to do far better this season. As soon as the weather was nice enough to put the winter tires away, I got back on my bicycle and have been working my way up to commuting by bicycle every day. The days I can’t ride the bicycle, I either work remotely or ride the unicycle.
I joined WMATA because I regret the years I spent thinking that commuting by bicycle was unfeasible. I want to show my neighbors that they can get away from rush hour traffic too!
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