Berkeley Parents Network: Commuting between the East Bay and San Francisco

Berkeley Parents Network

Commuting between the East Bay and San Francisco

Berkeley Parents Network > Advice > Working & Careers > Commuting between the East Bay and San Francisco

Bay Bridge Commute Tips?
Commuting from Oakland to the Civic Center
Commuting from Crocker Hghlnds to SF
Commuting from Redwood Hgts. to the Financial District
How to find casual carpool pick-up spots from East Bay to the City
Commuting between SF and El Sobrante

Bay Bridge Commute Tips?

Jan 2005

I would be very interested in hearing any tips about the Bay Bridge commute from parents who live in the East Bay, work in San Francisco and have children who attend school in the East Bay. My husband and I currently live and work in SF and have been trying to find a house to buy in Berkeley. We've found a school we like in the Berkeley area for our 4- year-old daughter, but I often need to be in SF until 4:30 or so and am worried I'll be stuck on the bridge and won't make it on time to pick her up from school. How early does one need to leave SF to be in Berkeley by 6:00? What's it like being on the other side of the bridge from your child during the day? Are there any strategies you've found useful to lessen the stress of commuting? Thanks for any hints you can give.

I would not drive unless you can leave before 4 pm. It will be a crapshoot in terms of traffic. For 60 dollars, you can get reserved parking at BART, (or if both of you will be in the car on the way to BART, you can get a free parking permit for El Cerrito Plaza from the Carpool group: phone number is posted at El Cerrito Plaza BART) It took about 25-35 minutes to get from Embarcadero to El Cerrrito. And sometimes BART has delays. I found that if I was on BART by 4:15 I could get both kids (one in west Berkeley, one in North Berkeley) by 5pm or so. Paula

You can call 511 or go to traffic.511.org to get driving times from San Francisco to Berkeley, as well as lists of any accidents, etc. It won't help you if something happens once you're already in traffic, but if you check it about 30 minutes before you leave work, it can tell you what the current conditions are, which may help you plan your trip and/or reduce your stress level. Michael

Is your office in SF anywhere near a BART station? If so, I highly recommend the West Oakland option -- paying to park at a private lot at ! the West Oakland station, then taking any train in. It removes bridge traffic from the equation. It does, of course, add the BART commute variable to the equation, but, for all the complaining that people can do about BART, it's still a far far better bet than Bridge traffic, especially since you can take any train to West Oakland. If not, 4:30 to 6 seems like adequate time for even the worst bridge traffic days, although a lot depends on how far off the Bridge you need to be at either end. For peace of mind, you'll want a ''Plan B,'' someone you can call if you are stuck in traffic, but as long as you have a trusted Plan B, you should be fine. commuter

One word - BART! Get a parking space at a BART lot (there are some where you can get a reserved space for a monthly fee - it's MUCH cheaper than parking the in the city.) That way your commute is not subject to the vagaries of traffic - far too stressful. My husband and I both work in SF and live in Berkeley. We take BART into the city every day, sometimes together, sometimes separately. If I leave the office at 5:15, I can easily be in the East Bay by 6 (and ten minutes of that is walking from my office to B! ART). As for anxiety about being on the other side of the bridge from my child, I have two trusted friends who are in the East Bay who could back me up in case of an emergency. Being new to the area, you may need to work on this, but there are so many great people in Berkeley, you'll find them. Fran

Maybe you've already ruled it out, but if you commute on BART you'll never, ever get stuck on the bay bridge. David

I generally leave work(near moscone center) just 10 min before 4, take the bus, and usually get to the Sac St/Cedar St neighborhood by 5 (often i get there much earlier. If you were in my neighborhood in SF and left a 4:30 by bus - it might take a little bit longer to get back, cuz more folks are one hte road. It depends where you work in SF and if you'll commute by car or pub transit.

I go in by N Berkeley BART casual carpool (love it) and come

back by AC Transit or BART. If you commute by car on your way home, you would have to leave more time for getting fromyour parking lot and on to the bridge. Have a cell phone on you, and if you leave work at a time when you will cut the pick up time close, you should call as you leave, and let them know you might be late, so they won't hear last minute. Most care givers appreciate the advanced notice.

Other hints..... Make sure you absolutely leave work on time to get your coworkers used to the idea. Don't cut it close everyday or you'll add too much stress to your daily routine. Work at home at least one day a week if possible. Make sure your child's care giver is able to reach you if your child is ill, as it may take you an hour mid-day to get there to pick your sick child up. Have your partner drop your child off in the a.m. so you can get in early enough to leave on time at the end of the day. Designate East Bay working friends and family on your regular and emergency pick up card. Get cell phone numbers of families you! get close to at your child's school, who pick their kid up around the same time, and help each other to pick up the other's kid on the few times you are running late. In summary - it actually works out fine, and lots of families do it.

Commuting from Oakland to the Civic Center

Jan 2004

I am soon to change jobs and one of the downsides is I will no longer be able to easily commute by bus. I live in Crocker Highlands and will be commuting to Civic Center are in SF at the height of commute times (need to get there at 8:30-9, leave at 5). BART is over a 2-mile walk so the realistic options seem limited to driving and picking up carpoolers or driving to West Oakland BART, parking there, and Barting to/from office. The latter sounds more appealing but I am wondering how late I can get to West Oakland BART and still find a spot to park in one of the adjacent paid lots - anyone have any idea if I can get there at 8:15 and still park anywhere near the station? Anyone have any other ideas (shifting my work hours is not an option)? Thanks very much for your recommendations and advice.

My experiece with West Oakland Bart is that you can always find a spot in the paid parking lot ($5.00/day last year). If you get there early enough you may find a spot in the Bart parking lot. However ''early'' means really early (before 7 am) since spots are limited for the non-reserved parking area and they fill up very fast!

Often times, there are some street parking spots available but you have to be careful with the street signs for time limits and sweeping schedules. This is not the best of neighborhoods so be careful if you think you'll be getting out of work late. The streets are also not well lit if it gets dark, this is especially true for the latter part of fall and throughout winter. You also get the impression that if you screamed for help doors and windows would get shut. My husband does not like it when I run late and requests that I call him to come drive me the 3-4 blocks to my car if it's already dark. As for driving into the city: the parking lot at Civic Center can get expensive for the day. There are monthly plans available, but there is usually a LONG wait list for those spots. Another option, if you don't want to deal with the hassel of finding parking at either location, is to share a casual carpool ride or set up a regular carpool with people having a similar commute. Here are a few websites that might help:

http://rideshare.511.org/carpool/vanpool_seats.asp
http://www.erideshare.com/carpool.php?city=San+Francisco
http://www.sfride.com/locations.html
http://www.ridenow.org/carpool/

Good Luck! EBay commuter

I work close to Civic Center and also live in Crocker Highlands. I normally drive to Rockridge BART station, arrive by 7am to get a parking spot (unless you want to pay for your spot in which case you don't have to get there by 7am) and take the train into the City. My neighbor previously used casual carpool but since most commuters work downtown/financial district, would have to then take MUNI/BART to Civic Center and with the commute home would take a bus from BART back home (too much for me with 2 kids!) Hope this is a good alternative for you or that you find one that works for you! Eileen

My partner commutes to SF every day via BART, and frequently drives to West Oakland and parks there. She generally gets there between 8 and 9 am and never parks in the lots, but has always been able to find street parking within several blocks of the station. The side of the street where the station is located is almost always parked up, but if you cross 7th and go into the surrounding neighborhoods, there is usually parking there. She's never had a problem parking in the year plus that she's been doing it. Hope that helps!

Another idea is casual carpool, at least for the way there. Alayna

The casual carpool system at Norht Berkeley BART has rides at the front of the car line for Civic Center. Sometimes drivers even have a sign saying that, as opposed to the rest of the cars that go to Fremont and Howard. Park your car in the neighborhood, walk a few blocks to BART, and have a nice (and free) ride. It's a great system. Casual carpool supporter

Commuting from Crocker Hghlnds to SF

Jan 2004

My husband works in SF and has been taking the express bus on Park Blvd. to work for almost the past year. Lately it has been very unreliable, sometimes causing him to be late to work by at least a half hour. He needs to find a more reliable way to get to and from SF and was wondering how others are commuting from the Crocker Highlands area. We only have one car so driving isn't an option. We live near the Trestle Glen, Grovesnor intersection. Thanks!
Wife of an Unhappy Crocker Commuter

we live in glenview, and for three years my husband has been riding into the city via the nifty carpool pick-up system at park and hampel. as a passenger, he simply stands in line, hops into one of the waiting cars along with one other passenger and the driver, and off they go. the system is reciprocal for both the driver, who can drive in the high- occupancy vehicle lane, and for the riders who get a free ride into the city. the drop-off point is harrison and first, but sometimes a familiar driver will offer to drop him off closer to his destination. over the years, my husband has enjoyed meeting new people, test-riding a wide spectrum of cars, and saving money. he's also never been late to work once in the three years he's done this. wife of carpool rider

Right across the street from the Park Avenue/Lakeshore bus stop is the ''informal'' carpool pickup. There are always cars waiting for riders, which eliminates the wait for a bus. Riders get dropped off at the SF bus terminal. I have occasionally picked up riders at this spot when I go into the City, and was a regular rider years ago when we lived in Berkeley without a car. It is a great system. Another option would be for your husband to take a bus to one of the BART stations. I live in your neighborhood, and there are several bus routes to MacArthur, 12th/14th Street or Lake Merritt BART stations. Charlotte

Commuting from Redwood Hgts. to the Financial District

March 2003

Am looking for suggestions for commuting from Redwood Heights neighborhood to financial district in SF. Can leave home at approx. 7:30 am earliest. Am told that parking at Rockridge BART station is full by that hour. Fruitvale BART station is not a viable option due to safety issues, primarily in the evenings. Any other ideas? Thanks in advance.

I've commuted for years to the financial district by using the casual carpool at Fruitvale and Montana (next to Longs) in the morning and taking the express NF bus home. You can drive to the free parking lots right under the freeway (580) at the Fruitvale exit (from Redwood Heights take Coolidge St. exit and continue on exit which goes straight to it). This is the least expensive way to commute, I think. The casual carpool is free and a ten ride bus pass is $26.00 for 10 rides. The NF bus goes directly from Transbay Terminal at First & Mission (one block from Market) to its first stop at the parking lots at the Fruitvale exit. It takes about 20 minutes max, unless there are accidents which doesn't happen all that often. Carol

Try the casual carpool! I live in Redwood Heights, too, and I usually pick it up near the Fruitvale Longs, where there's a park-and-ride lot (there's also a pick-up spot on High St. at MacArthur and two on Park Blvd., one near Hampel and one near Hollywood; you can get a list of others at http://www.environmentaldefense.org/article.cfm?ContentID=1362&Pa ge=2). The carpool will take you right to the Trans-Bay Terminal near 1st and Mission, though most drivers will take you farther than that if you're going in their direction. You then take the bus home from the terminal -- there are several that can drop you near where you parked, and they run every 20 minutes or so until about 7 p.m. You can pick up a schedule at the terminal. Good luck! (P.S. Any other Redwood Heights commuters interested in trying to establish a pick-up spot of our own?) Leah

If you can walk down the hill to High & MacArthur, you can take the ''N'' line into SF in less than half an hour. The link below shows a 7:38AM NF bus arriving at the Transbay Terminal at 8:03; a 7:45AM NH bus arriving at 8:07; a 7:46 NG bus arriving at 8:15; and a 7:53 NF bus arriving at 8:18AM.

http://www.transitinfo.org/Sched/AC/N/WD/WB.html

It'S $3 a trip, but you can buy a 10-ride booklet for $26 or a monthly pass for $85. Some folks do casual carpool into the city and take the bus back (personally, I'd have someone pick me up to drive me back up the hill!). You can also use the TransitInfo website to find buses closer to your exact location. Transbay buses *rock*--it's the easiest, fastest, cheapest way into the City for me.

Good luck! Jennie Van Heuit eggplant@there.net

AC Transit runs a number of Transbay buses from the MacArthur Blvd. area into the city. Go to www.transitinfo.org, click on ''Plan my trip,'' and you can enter your origin and destination to get the best transit options. You can email me if you have any questions. Michael

I too commute from Redwood Heights to SF and can't leave the house until 7:30a.m. I usually park in the neighborhood around Rockridge Bart. If you look, there are several streets within a 3-7 minute walk that do not have restrictions on parking (other than street sweeping). Try one of the streets just off College Ave, which is well lit at night. Another option is to take the bus to the Fruitvale Bart station. There is a bus that goes down 35th that runs every 10 minutes or so in the morning. (I have to admit though, that when I used this option, I always made my husband pick me up at Rockrigde Bart in the evening as I did not like going to Fruitvale Bart at night.) OR, try driving to Park Blvd and take the casual carpool from the Park/Trestle Glen area, then take an AC Transit bus back in the evenings. Several of my neighbors rave about this option, although I've never tried it.... anon

I don't have a specific recommendation, but I do have a good resource -- the Metropolitan Transportation Commission's transit planning website. Go to www.transitinfo.org and then push the button that says ''plan your trip.'' It works like mapquest or yahoo maps -- you plug in your starting point and your ending point, the maximum you're willing to walk, and the time you need to arrive and it gives you various transit options. I use it a lot, and while the first option isn't always the best, if you cycle through the different choices by hitting ''next best alternative'' I often find that taking transit is easier and faster than I would have expected. It gives you exact schedule times, fares, etc. -- very user friendly. Dashka

For commuting to SF from Oakland hills nothing beats the casual carpool / AC Transit combo. Everybody wins! You get a free ride to the city, and the driver gets to take advantage of the carpool lane on the bridge.

In the morning you hook up with a driver who drops you off at Howard and Fremont. On the way back you catch a cushy super size bus at Transbay Terminal (perfect chance to read a little or take a nap). Bus tickets are $3 each or $26 for 10 rides.

The link below details all of the official stops. Most are on AC transit lines. The Lakeshore/Grand spot offers all day metered parking and street parking is available in some areas.

Casual Carpool Stops
http://www.environmentaldefense.org/article.cfm?ContentID=1362&Page=2

AC Transit Trip Planner
http://www.transitinfo.org/cgi-bin/taketransit

I recommend the casual carpool pickup by the Longs Drugs in the Dimond District. You park for free in one of two lots located under 580. There is almost always a line of cars waiting for riders and it takes 15 - 30 minutes depending on traffic. The closer to 7:30 you get down there the faster the trip in to SF. Traffic gets heavier around 8:00. You can easily take the AC Transit NF from the Transbay Terminal back to the carpool pickup at the end of the day. Have been doing this for 5 years and it's very easy. lmor

In response to the question about commuting to SF Financial District from Redwood Heights: I recommend driving to Park Blvd and Hollywood (block from the CC Catholic Church) and picking up the casual carpool into S.F. The carpool will drop you at the bus terminal a block from Market Street on Fremont. To get home, take the ''V'' AC Transit bus that goes directly from the bus terminal to Park Blvd and up Park to Montclair. There is a stop where you will have caught the bus. I've been doing it for years and it works beautifully if you are traveling during general commute hours. Lori

My husband and I use the casual carpool in Piedmont. You drive to Oakland Ave., 2 blocks south of Highland, to the carpool sign. You park along Oakland Ave. and stand in line. Cars line up and 2 people jump in each car. You will be dropped off at the corner of Howard/Fremont streets unless the driver is heading straight across Market and your office is that way. You pay nothing to the driver. You then take the A/C transit bus ''P'' from the main bus terminal on Mission St. back to Piedmont at a cost of $2.20 (you can buy a book of tickets). It stops every few blocks on Oakland Ave. Last bus leaves SF at 7:30pm. This is a great way to commute and it is half the price of BART. Kris

You can take the AC Transit ''V'' bus from many stops on Park Boulevard in Oakland. Parking is free all day - sometimes tough to find since MANY people do this. I think monthly bus passes run around $60-70. The bus goes straight to 1st and Mission - about 25-30 minutes each way. THE BEST. (Or, there are Casual Carpool pick up locations on Park Blvd as well.) Best of luck. East Bay Mom

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