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Old 06-29-2012, 05:59 PM
 
Location: Oakland, CA
28,226 posts, read 36,784,942 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ssmaster View Post
would living in lamorinda take 15 -20 minutes off the commute ?
It seems like most of the traffic is getting to and through the tunnel.
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Old 06-29-2012, 06:01 PM
 
Location: Oakland, CA
28,226 posts, read 36,784,942 times
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If your office is downtown Oakland you won't need to transfer.
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Old 07-02-2012, 12:09 PM
 
Location: Sacramento, CA
11 posts, read 36,177 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NosyMom View Post
Hi - I live in WC near B'Way Plaza and drive to Alameda as a commute. It takes 30 min in the morning and 40-60 in the evening.

I have raised a child in CC County since 1990, in the Lafayette and Moraga schools, and even though these areas, Walnut Creek included, are safe and warm and fuzzy on paper, I would take all precautions and make sure your son is 100% supervised when you're not with him. His ultimate safety and your peace of mind while working will thank you.

Care.Com is an excellent resource for part-time sitters. Also you can check into after-school activities through Civic Arts in WC and Spare Time Spotlight, a local activities paper. St. Mary's College has all kinds of students looking for part-time work. Parents Press is also an excellent place to check.

As for BART, I don't know how you are re: noise, crowds, dirty train cars, delays, depressing underground stations, and discourteous people, but for myself, who have done both driving and BART on and off since the 90's, driving and having my child 'watched' has been the best combo.

Good luck - you sound like a wonderful parent!
Thank you for the info. Right now we live literally about a 5 minute walk to his school on a very residential street (no traffic lights, 1 stop sign where he has to cross but there is a crossing guard before and after school, and hoards of kids walking with him). I don't have a problem with him being alone, normally - he was in after school care last year (10 hours per week @ around $200/mo through the school district) and he really hated it because he was the oldest with a bunch of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders - except for now, this being a new area and new city, and not having family in every direction like we do now, so I have things to consider as you've mentioned.

So, I am leaning towards child care and other activities. I will take a look at the resources you mention. Thanks!
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Old 07-02-2012, 12:13 PM
 
Location: Sacramento, CA
11 posts, read 36,177 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ssmaster View Post
would living in lamorinda take 15 -20 minutes off the commute ?
I wondered about this and that (in addition to schools) was a lot of the reason why I was considering Lafayette or Orinda. Plus, Lafayette is beautiful. I was thinking, hopping on 24 instead of 680 to 24, how much would it drop the commute?

But I don't think it will very much... because taking 680 to 24 doesn't seem like it takes very long, it only starts to backup once you hit 24 around Lamorinda area - from what I recall anyway. So if I were in that area, I would pop on from 24 and just basically get stuck in the same jam.

I'm not sure :P
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Old 07-02-2012, 12:23 PM
 
Location: Sacramento, CA
11 posts, read 36,177 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth View Post
I would take BART. You don't want to have to deal with the traffic going through the tunnel into Oakland during commute hours. You'll have to change to another Bart line, but it'll still be more hassle-free than dealing with the Caldecott tunnel. Sometimes cars get stalled, it gets down to one lane one way, it can be very unpredictable. Your commute, whether by Bart or car will add time to your day, but at least on BART, you won't be stressing out with traffic. Seriously. This is a no-brainer to long-time residents of the area.

you were smart to pick Lafayette/Walnut Creek for the schools. Orinda is good, too.
This is exactly what I was thinking. I have no problem taking BART - but, I have never taken it during commute hours, and I hear it's a madhouse All of my BART rides have been very pleasant and mostly empty trains on weekends or in the evening on a Friday night.

I will be going from whichever station (PH, WC, Lafayette, Orinda) to MacArthur in Oakland. I don't believe I have to transfer, although I have only taken that way a few times, I don't remember - most of my BART rides were into the city. I have seen the traffic from BART and I agree that it would make more sense for me to take BART - at least I would know that it is going to take me about the same time to get to and from work, instead of the fear of getting stuck.

I think that is what my biggest problem is - I love my current commute in that I know exactly how long it takes me to get to work, with the exception of the rare rare traffic issues, and I know exactly how long it takes me to get home. My day is never much different than strict 8AM to 5:30PM, and trying to prepare for what could be vastly different is scary I don't necessarily mind a little extra commute, just I hate to waste the day away in hours of traffic!
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Old 07-02-2012, 12:39 PM
 
Location: Sacramento, CA
11 posts, read 36,177 times
Reputation: 10
I appreciate everyone's replies. I feel armed with more information than I started with at least, even though I am still undecided how I want to go about things. I do know the area relatively well but again, most of my time there is not during the work week, so I need to learn that. My biggest fear is that school starts August 22nd if I remember correctly, and I will be moving not long before that, so I will have little time to prepare or 'learn' the best route, etc., prior to school starting, which is why I am trying to gather as much information as I can in advance.

Does anyone know how different the traffic changes, hour to hour?

Like ... I think I mentioned that my hours are somewhat flexible. Would it be better for me to work at 8AM or 9AM? Or? That sort of thing. How does traffic change in that regard, hour to hour? The freeways here, traffic can change drastically in like 30 minutes.
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Old 07-02-2012, 01:20 PM
 
Location: SF Bay Area
18,977 posts, read 32,531,418 times
Reputation: 13625
Regarding BART, boarding at the PH station means your more likely to get a seat. Stations farther down will obviously have fuller trains. The BART railyard is between Concord and PH BART, so some of the trains in the morning at PH BART arrive completely empty as it is the first stop since it just left the railyard and not the Pittsburg station.
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Old 07-02-2012, 02:10 PM
 
Location: Oakland, CA
28,226 posts, read 36,784,942 times
Reputation: 28561
Quote:
Originally Posted by sav858 View Post
Regarding BART, boarding at the PH station means your more likely to get a seat. Stations farther down will obviously have fuller trains. The BART railyard is between Concord and PH BART, so some of the trains in the morning at PH BART arrive completely empty as it is the first stop since it just left the railyard and not the Pittsburg station.
And there is a big crush of people getting on at Macarthur, 12th and 19th. Just when you are getting off. If you start at PH you should be OK in the AM, just get up early when it is time to off board. The way home is iffy. I get off at Macarthur, and it seems to still be pretty packed through all of the Oakland stations in the PM.

Taking 13 to 580 for the drive is a poor option, since Macarthur is very close to 24. You still need to hit the tunnel, or you'd be going 7 miles out of the way.

I imagine getting to work at 8A would be better than 9A. But after 9 is even better. I used to carpool to SF with a friend who lived near PH BART. Before 9 it would take around 40 minutes for her to get to my place. After it was about 20. (I live a mile from MacArthur BART).
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