Temecula to Irvine commute (San Diego, Corona: home, job market, dangerous)

[giocon]

Hello, I am considering moving to Temecula and I currently work in Irvine. I would like to know what the daily commute to Irvine from Temecula and back is like. I would have to arrive in Irvine by 7 AM and would leave Irvine at 4 PM. I am considering taking the following route: 15 to the 91 to the 241 to the 261. I would be carpooling both ways and would like to take any available toll roads. Several sites list the commute time at around 1 hour and 10 minutes in the morning and 1 hour and 20 in the afternoon. Is this accurate? What would be the problem areas where traffic would be heavy? Any advice on how to cut back on the commute time? Thank you for your time and help.

[eclipxe]

I did this commute for 4 years. It will seem brutal at first but then get easier and easier.

15-91-241-261 is appropriate if you want to pay toll.
15-91-55-405 is how I'd recommend if you don't want to go on Ortega.

15-74-5 is an option also if you can deal with the Ortega highway.

My usual commute time is 45-60 minutes. This is with no traffic. It is 30 minutes from Temecula to the 91. (Speed limit is 70, go 75-77 if no traffic - you will get pulled over for going 80+ on your own, but 80+ is safe with usual flow of traffic)

It is 23 minutes from 91 to UC irvine (via the 55) with minimal traffic.

Traffic on the 91 can often be horrendous. I've sat in traffic for 2 hours on a 10 mile stretch of the 91 getting into/out of Corona. The 91 toll road helps avoid this.

Going the 15 to the 74 was my usual option. It is about 10-15 minutes from Temecula to the 74. 25 minutes from the 74 to Rancho Santa Margarita. Another 20 minutes from RSM to Irvine. Traffic is usually very light but the drive is on a two-lane mountain road. There has been lots of recent improvements (concrete barriers, straightening of the road, wider lanes, safety grooves) but it can still be a dangerous drive if you are not careful. On the other hand, the drive is scenic and relaxing.

Leaving Temecula around 5 or 5:30 would help avoid a lot of the large rush on the 91. The 91 from 4pm-6pm is a nightmare unless you are on the toll road.

My recommendation - try the 74 and see if it is appropriate for your work location and driving style.
If that doesn't work, go the 15-91 (toll) to 55 route. Traffic is light on the 55 usually
If you really want to avoid the 55, then go 15-91 (toll) - 241 (toll) - 261 or 133 (toll).

Another option is going 15 South, 76 west then 5 north. This is an 1 hr, 30 minute commute but if there are accidents on the 15 or 91 it can be a better option (and you get scenic ocean views for part of the commute, little traffic). The 76 is being worked on and will eventually be expanded to 4 lanes and straightened (about 5 years). That should drop the 76 commute down to about 1hr 15 minutes.

[eclipxe]

Also, most folks here are going to recommend you don't do the commute.

Personally, I found the commute to be fine. I like the flexibility Temecula offers (you can commute to OC or SD with relative ease). If your job in Irvine is not an issue then Corona might be a better option for commuting. If you might need to change companies in the near future and like flexibility, you will find the North San Diego (Sorrento Valley, Carlsbad, La Jolla) job market is somewhat comparable to the options and caliber of jobs in Irvine. You are 45-55 minutes to North SD jobs from Temecula, but with a *much* easier commute. Little traffic, even during rush hour. Good roads, 70+mph speed limit through most of the drive.

[bhcompy]

Originally Posted by eclipxe

I did this commute for 4 years. It will seem brutal at first but then get easier and easier.

15-91-241-261 is appropriate if you want to pay toll.
15-91-55-405 is how I'd recommend if you don't want to go on Ortega.

15-74-5 is an option also if you can deal with the Ortega highway.

My usual commute time is 45-60 minutes. This is with no traffic. It is 30 minutes from Temecula to the 91. (Speed limit is 70, go 75-77 if no traffic - you will get pulled over for going 80+ on your own, but 80+ is safe with usual flow of traffic)

It is 23 minutes from 91 to UC irvine (via the 55) with minimal traffic.

Traffic on the 91 can often be horrendous. I've sat in traffic for 2 hours on a 10 mile stretch of the 91 getting into/out of Corona. The 91 toll road helps avoid this.

Going the 15 to the 74 was my usual option. It is about 10-15 minutes from Temecula to the 74. 25 minutes from the 74 to Rancho Santa Margarita. Another 20 minutes from RSM to Irvine. Traffic is usually very light but the drive is on a two-lane mountain road. There has been lots of recent improvements (concrete barriers, straightening of the road, wider lanes, safety grooves) but it can still be a dangerous drive if you are not careful. On the other hand, the drive is scenic and relaxing.

Leaving Temecula around 5 or 5:30 would help avoid a lot of the large rush on the 91. The 91 from 4pm-6pm is a nightmare unless you are on the toll road.

My recommendation - try the 74 and see if it is appropriate for your work location and driving style.
If that doesn't work, go the 15-91 (toll) to 55 route. Traffic is light on the 55 usually
If you really want to avoid the 55, then go 15-91 (toll) - 241 (toll) - 261 or 133 (toll).

Another option is going 15 South, 76 west then 5 north. This is an 1 hr, 30 minute commute but if there are accidents on the 15 or 91 it can be a better option (and you get scenic ocean views for part of the commute, little traffic). The 76 is being worked on and will eventually be expanded to 4 lanes and straightened (about 5 years). That should drop the 76 commute down to about 1hr 15 minutes.

Just a tip, you cannot take the 91 toll lanes if you are going to take the 241 toll road into south OC. The toll lanes bypass the 241(which is pretty stupid if you ask me) and essentially go from the 55 to the start of the traditional corona area(few exits west of lincoln or so, dont recall where)

[eclipxe]

Originally Posted by bhcompy

Just a tip, you cannot take the 91 toll lanes if you are going to take the 241 toll road into south OC. The toll lanes bypass the 241(which is pretty stupid if you ask me) and essentially go from the 55 to the start of the traditional corona area(few exits west of lincoln or so, dont recall where)

Thanks for clearing that up, my post wasn't clear in that regard.

[PHItoLAX]

I've done the 15 (albeit South)-91-241-261 commute to my office for a while (until I had a home office). It wasn't awful in the morning, except the tolls, unless you invest in Fastrak. I know that the commute back (at least to the 15) was kind of brutal once I got to the 241-91 interchange at around the time you mentioned. The carpool lanes were usually backed up a bit as well in the early evening on the 91, but were better than the regular lanes.