Driving From Alameda to SF.. (San Francisco, Oakland: live in, bus, moving to)

[cannoli38]

I am thinking of moving to Alameda for possible work in SF. Does it take forever to get to and fro during rush hour? Is there just one way to get there?

thanks,
Dave

[sonarrat]

880 and the bridge is pretty much it.. or the ferry. Or the bus. It's not the worst commute in the world, it's just that you'll be waiting in line at the toll booth for as much as a half-hour every morning unless you join a carpool. And you'll sometimes have those mornings when not only is the toll plaza backed up because the metering lights are so slow, but the entire upper deck of the bridge will be stop and go as well.

[Santini]

BART is also an excellent option. Depending on whether you live in the east or west end of Alameda, you will be close to the Fruitvale, 12th St, Lake Meritt and West Oakland BART stations. In fact at night you can often hear the whistle of the BART trains from most places in Alameda.

As for driving, Alameda is very close to San Francisco (part of the island actually technically is part of San Francisco) and during off hours it can be a quicker drive to San Francisco's FiDi than from parts of southern San Francisco. But during rush hour you will have to wait at the toll plaza, which can very by the minute.

[krudmonk]

You're better off getting a boat.

[tennis368fan]

Where in San Francisco do you work? Are you within walking/biking/bus/light rail of the ferry terminal or BART?

If you decide to move to Bay Farm, which has its own ferry terminal, you can cross the Bay without going into Oakland. You could also take the bus into San Francisco, or you could take the bus or the car into Fruitvale or Lake Merritt BART. 12 Street/City Center BART has plenty of bus stops, but no BART parking for BART passengers.

Personally, I would prefer the ferry or the train into SF, which does not require a bridge crossing. They have their own mostly dedicated routes, fully dedicated in the case of BART.