Bob Coyner took the leap from biotech to bus after spotting a help wanted advertisement for Snoqualmie Valley Transit.

The former biotech industry worker now shuttles folks around the Valley and has been doing so for over three years.

Coyner enjoys working so close to his North Bend home.

“This is the first time in my adult life that I can live and work at home,” he said.

Driving the bus has proved more fulfilling than his former biotech career. Coyner said his stress level is much lower, too.

“I got tired of it,” he said of his previous field. With Snoqualmie Valley Transit, stress is almost nonexistent.

And serving the community is one of his favorite job functions, but the most important aspect is safety, he said.

“If you see someone that is struggling, you get out and help them,” he said.

“Our goal is timely transportation, but safety is number one. No one is going to get hurt on my van.”

Coyner is happy that the service has grown so much over the years, and is excited to see it expand.

“To go from North Bend to Carnation for fifty cents — that is an amazing service,” he said. “I know there’s more people in the Valley that need transportation, but I know there are people who have misconceptions.

“They may think the shuttle is only for seniors or members of the Tribe. It’s for everybody,” he said. “There’s a tremendous need out there.”

Snoqualmie Valley Transit dispatcher Paula Edwards called Coyner a real asset to the SVT system.

“I admire him greatly,” longtime rider Char Esch said about Coyner’s positive attitude. “If you’re having a bad day, by the time you get off the bus, it’s a great one.”

Driving for eight hours a day doesn’t bother Coyner, who enjoys listening to his riders.

“They tell me everything,” he said. “I don’t get bored.”

Although Coyner doesn’t engage in conversation much, because he says it takes away from his attention to traffic on the road, he enjoys hearing about the going-ons of his riders’ lives.

“That’s the key, to have fun,” he said. “Otherwise it ain’t worth it.”

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