My problem commute is trying to get to the rink from work in time for our lesson. It takes me about an hour to get home from work by public transport (no parking at work, so I can't drive there) and then I have to change and get in the car to go to the rink. I usually only make the last 15-20 minutes of the lesson.
When I used to work in Manhattan and skate in NJ, I changed my morning commute from one express bus to driving to a Park & Ride and taking the PATH train into the City. It was a little more expensive but it made the trip to the rink much shorter and stopped the time bleed that happened whenever I went home first. (Getting something to eat, stop at the bank, starting a load of laundry, chit-chatting with family/neighbors, etc.)
I usually took my skate bag and clothing into work, changing before I left the office for the train or changing at the rink.
(I did that mainly because I was worried about my car being robbed, but weather is always a concern with skates sitting in a car all day.)
To get to our current rink, it's a 20- to 30-minute trip, but I usually leave 45 minutes before we have to get there, in case there's traffic or a detour. Sometimes, parking is an issue when there's a swim meet or other event, so the extra time is handy when you have to search for a spot. Plus, being early lets us warmup and put on skates without stress, and we can chat with the skaters and parents and not have to leave the ice for something we forgot in haste.