To most teachers, an everyday commute is a source of stress, with traffic and unexpected delays all a possibility for the day. However, some teachers have found ways to bypass these problems.

For history teacher Nate Martell, a 64 mile round trip is commonplace. But his vehicle is anything but ordinary for teachers.

His morning begins anytime between 5:30 a.m. to 6:15 a.m., which is usually when his baby wakes up. In rainy conditions, Martell uses his car and leaves at least two hours to school to make it on time.

In more suitable weather conditions, however,  Martell regularly commutes to school on his motorcycle. His unique transportation allows him to drive in between cars to avoid traffic, cutting his commuting time. It creates accessibility to move where a car would not be able to drive.

“I would say it’s pretty good compared to other commutes. It’s pretty consistently 45 minutes or less,” said Martell. “But being on the bike, I do not get stuck in traffic, which is generally horrible over Highway 17.”

Martell keeps a tally on a board of how many times he has ridden his motorcycle over the school year.

“I started the tally as data gathering for economics class,” said Martell. “ I was trying to figure out which was less expensive: driving my truck, which gets horrible gas mileage, or riding my motorcycle, which gets great mileage but has higher maintenance costs. The data shows I should probably get a Prius, but I’ve been hit by one of those, so maybe a Honda Civic.”

Although the data indicates a car would be less expensive, Martell does not plan to trade his motorcycle in for another car anytime soon.

During his commute Martel listens to a playlist. Although he is growing tired of the repetitive songs, the music helps him focus on the road. He is looking for new music to play soon.

“You have to be very alert to what other drivers are doing, so I am focused intently on them or the road the whole ride,” said Martell.

Martell’s unique way of commuting lets him bypass the major obstacle of traffic jams that others commuting to Lynbrook often face. Although the motorcycle does have a few downsides, Martell enjoys his vehicle and the experiences he has with it.