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A Peek Inside Rochelle's Commuter Culture

Jenna Dooley
/
WNIJ

Rochelle's location near several major interstates makes it easy for commuters to get to and from work. In the second of two reports, we hear from commuters who have decided not to make the move to the city where they work.

    

Each workday, Tim Swanberg pulls into a paved spot near Nancy Dobbel's Sycamore home at just before 7 a.m. Nancy greets him, and they both don crisp NipponSharyo shirts. The third member of their regular carpool is Cindy Blanchard of Cortland.

They take turns driving on different days of the week. Dobbel adds some good natured teasing when she explains how long it takes the group to get to Rochelle.

"If Cindy is driving, it takes 30 minutes [laughs]. If Tim is driving, it takes a little bit longer."

Swanberg says he is grateful for the carpool.

"We talk about everything-- what we are doing out of work. It passes the time quickly. Driving so many years by myself was boring," Swanberg said.

Carpool Helps Work/Life Balance

Saving on gas is one of the major benefits of this arrangement, but Blanchard says there's another factor for her.

"I have a tendency to work an 'overschedule.' Now I am kind of forced to get home which is good so I can be home with my family," Blanchard said.

Blanchard says there is always plenty to talk about.

"I have four kids so when I go home it's always very dramatic because I have a fifteen year old all the way down to a six year old. It's kind of a nice, 'de-stress' time. They [co-workers] have older kids, so they can kind of tell me what they can remember and also tell me what I am going to be experiencing in the years to come."

Solitary Drive Has Benefits

Pete Kaczmarek drives more than a hour each way to work in Rochelle. He lives near Elkhorn, Wisconsin. His wife drives nearly as far each day to her job in Milwaukee. Kaczmarek doesn't mind the daily trek.

"For so many years I was within 15-20 minutes of where I worked. I would always take it [the work] home. Now with this little longer drive, I seem a little more relaxed by the time I get there because I have let the day run out of me," Kaczmarek said.

He says some days it can be difficult to hear the alarm buzzing, but there is always a reason for him to get out of bed.

"The work is interesting. So there's job satisfaction involved in this too, not just always pay. You have to think 'Am I bored? Am I interested in what I am doing?'"

Kaczmarek says he does keep a constant eye on gas prices along the way.

Chris Nielsen also drives from Wisconsin to Rochelle each day. He says he's at a time in his life when driving the long distance isn't such a big deal.

"You have to make sacrifices, I haven't won the lottery yet. There's a limit and I would say this is the upper edge of that limit of commute time," Nielsen said. "My kids are grown, so it's just my wife and I. If I was still trying to get to school events and things, that was a challenge, even though I was just driving an hour each way. I wouldn't encourage anyone to take into it lightly. Do the math."

He says he is willing to commute the long distance to keep his current lifestyle.

"I love living out in the country. I have elderly parents out in the area where I am at. That's not the primary reason. We have a beautiful home out in the country, and I just love the peace and quiet. Not to say I couldn't find country living someplace else, but to move closer to Rochelle, I suppose I could, but I am pretty deeply rooted."

Shorter Commute is Better For Some

Commuting across northern Illinois quickly lost its appeal for Joel Francis. For about six months, he drove his truck each day from Rock Falls to Rochelle. He misses his truck, but not the long drive.

"After a long day, putting in overtime and everything, driving home and you get tired, and the price of gas. It cost me a hundred bucks a week in gas to get here. I would drive my motorcycle to get here as much as I could to save on gas, but people would pull around me and cut me off like I wasn't even there," Francis said.

Enough was enough and he sold his home and now lives within ten minutes of his job. He says he doesn't fret during the winter about poor roads, and fluctuating gas prices no longer phase him.

"If you have to get ready and drive, and drive almost an hour to get to work, and drive home every night, it wears on you. It is so much nicer living here in town," Francis said.

While many roads may lead to Rochelle, exactly which one to take, and for how long, depends on each worker. 

Jenna Dooley has spent her professional career in public radio. She is a graduate of Northern Illinois University and the Public Affairs Reporting Program at the University of Illinois - Springfield. She returned to Northern Public Radio in DeKalb after several years hosting Morning Edition at WUIS-FM in Springfield. She is a former "Newsfinder of the Year" from the Illinois Associated Press and recipient of NIU's Donald R. Grubb Journalism Alumni Award. She is an active member of the Illinois News Broadcasters Association and an adjunct instructor at NIU.
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