April 22 is Earth Day, but when you ride or work in public transit, you're doing your part to save energy and protect the environment every day.
Environmental stewardship is extremely important to me, it guides how I try to live my life and where I have dedicated my career.
Jamie Brinkley, our senior sustainability planner at Sound Transit, is helping to build our vision of sustainability - not just during Earth Month in April, but year-round.
Here's our mission:
- Help people move freely and affordably by providing regional transit service.
- Promote stewardship that conserves the planet’s natural environment.
- Support community prosperity by providing affordable mobility and access to opportunity.
"To me, Earth Month is a time to pause (briefly!) from all the hard work we’re doing and celebrate our accomplishments and refocus on what we need to achieve," she said. "I am working on sustainability all day every day, so it’s uplifting and energizing throughout the month of April to see the broader public recognize the importance of protecting our planet."
She has worked at Sound Transit for seven and a half years, and is the subject of this month's "Inside Sound Transit" feature, where we introduce you to the people who make it easier (and more sustainable!) for you to get to where you live, work and play.
"Ultimately, I want my two boys to grow up enjoying nature as much as I did as a child, so in our family, every day is Earth Day!"
You can view Sound Transit's environmental and sustainability goals in the 2019 Sustainability Plan. You can review our 2022 sustainability targets here.
Now, on to the questions!
Q: What do you tell your friends you do for work?
A: Honestly, I tell my friend’s I have the most sustainable job in Seattle! I was always hoping to work in sustainability in the public sector, so this is really a dream job for me. On top of that, Sound Transit is enabling one of the most sustainable transformations possible for our region – building a transit system to help folks get around in a more affordable, reliable, and environmentally friendly way. All Sound Transit employees are doing important sustainability work by building high capacity transit, I’m just lucky that I get to do that in the Sustainability Office!
Q: What’s your passion outside of your job?
A: My 2 year old and 5 year old keep me pretty busy, they are my passion – but also don’t leave a lot of time for other passions! I do love to bake, get my family outside (whether it’s the yard, a local playground, or a national park), and obsessively tend to my house plants.
Q: What attracted you to work at Sound Transit?
A: The mission! I really believe in what Sound Transit is doing and count myself fortunate to be a part of it. Since being here for almost eight years though, the incredibly welcoming and supportive community of coworkers keeps me around.
Q: How do you get to work?
A: Currently I walk about 15 feet from my bedroom to my home office ?. Before the pandemic I took the 5 Express bus from Greenwood; when we return to the office I’m hoping to incorporate more light rail and my new electric bike into my commute!
Q: What three things would you take with you to a desert island (besides food and water)?
A: A 12-inch cast iron skillet, a book of NYTimes crossword puzzles, and sunscreen.