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Old 12-17-2010, 01:32 PM
 
22 posts, read 54,263 times
Reputation: 16

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Question for you all. How easy is it to get around the SV peninsula without driving on the freeway? I'm not talking about commuting in and out of the city or across the bay - just around the peninsula, say around the Palo Alto/Mountain View area. Would you say it is easier/harder than getting around Los Angeles on surface streets?

I hate freeway driving and try to avoid it as much as possible. To put things into perspective I currently live in LA, hardly ever drive on the freeway, and I get around just fine.

Thanks!
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Old 12-17-2010, 02:31 PM
 
Location: The Bay
6,914 posts, read 14,673,852 times
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The freeway traffic isn't anything like the traffic in LA. And no, its not easy... its the same kind of urban sprawl as LA in the Silicon Valley. The peninsula is easier to get around but not that much easier.
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Old 12-17-2010, 04:03 PM
 
22 posts, read 54,263 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nineties Flava View Post
The peninsula is easier to get around but not that much easier.
To reiterate, I find it easy to get around LA on surface streets. I'm asking if SV has as comprehensive of a surface street structure as LA, so that using the freeway for local driving isn't necessary. Thanks!
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Old 12-17-2010, 04:12 PM
 
Location: San Jose, CA
7,688 posts, read 29,050,375 times
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I don't know Los Angeles' surface streets, but both of these towns are pretty congested. There are a lot of people who work in PA and MV, but don't live there, so any road that serves a freeway is going to be crazy during rush hour. El Camino Real is tedious, with lots of lights, and is a bedlam on Stanford football days. Central Expressway/Alma is often a better alternative.

There's nothing like what I dealt with in east San Jose for the past two years, though. That got old after a day.
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Old 12-17-2010, 04:50 PM
 
Location: The Bay
6,914 posts, read 14,673,852 times
Reputation: 3119
Quote:
Originally Posted by sonarrat View Post
I don't know Los Angeles' surface streets, but both of these towns are pretty congested. There are a lot of people who work in PA and MV, but don't live there, so any road that serves a freeway is going to be crazy during rush hour. El Camino Real is tedious, with lots of lights, and is a bedlam on Stanford football days. Central Expressway/Alma is often a better alternative.

There's nothing like what I dealt with in east San Jose for the past two years, though. That got old after a day.

^This
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Old 12-17-2010, 06:18 PM
 
Location: Northern California
3,719 posts, read 14,670,100 times
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There are several expressways such as Central Expy/Alma Ave, Lawrence Expy, San Tomas/Montague Expy and others that can move at a good clip some of the time.
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Old 12-17-2010, 09:55 PM
 
Location: New Orleans, La
9 posts, read 31,776 times
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As a Mountain View native who has spent a lot of time driving around both SV and LA, I can assure you that if you can handle LA streets, you'll do just fine in SV.

When I lived in Mountain View, I barely ever used the freeway... we have many expressways (as mentioned above) that really do the job and even roads like El Camino weren't so bad IMHO.

I love LA and may (eventually) move there... though, as of this spring, I'm moving back to Mountain View. Depending on where you're currently living in LA, I think your daily commute with the roads can vary dramatically (like anywhere) from busy to a damn madhouse. Just about everywhere I needed to go could easily be accomplished without involving the highway... that, and the highway was often out of my way anyhow.

If I were you I wouldn't worry as I think SV traffic is easier to deal with than LA traffic... but then, SV is my home... even if I do love LA.
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Old 12-17-2010, 10:38 PM
 
Location: Beautiful California
253 posts, read 1,127,509 times
Reputation: 194
Quote:
Originally Posted by chixor View Post
Question for you all. How easy is it to get around the SV peninsula without driving on the freeway? I'm not talking about commuting in and out of the city or across the bay - just around the peninsula, say around the Palo Alto/Mountain View area. Would you say it is easier/harder than getting around Los Angeles on surface streets?

I hate freeway driving and try to avoid it as much as possible. To put things into perspective I currently live in LA, hardly ever drive on the freeway, and I get around just fine.

Thanks!
I LOVE the Foothill Expressway. Love it. Takes you all the way from Homestead Rd in Los Altos to Santa Cruz Avenue in Menlo Park. Easy access in Los Altos to 280 and the 85 and in MP to the 280 off Sandhill Rd.

-Cali-girl
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