7 ms·

This work from office thing is really killing travel times in the Bay Area. 237/880 is almost back to pre-pandemic levels, the HOV lanes are making the problems

This work from office thing is really killing travel times in the Bay Area. 237/880 is almost back to pre-pandemic levels, the HOV lanes are making the problems worse.

jedberg 4y ago
I'm willing to accept that most of that traffic is people who can't work from home. That being said, I really do miss the traffic from those first few weeks of the pandemic, when I could get from Cupertino to the airport in 12 minutes at 6pm (a drive that now takes about 25 minutes, and pre-pandemic took 45+).
bentcorner 4y ago
Seattle area has the same issue. My job encouraged return to office end of March (and I suspect other employers in the area had similar timelines) and traffic has been steadily getting worse ever since.
jeffbee 4y ago
Explain how the HOV lanes are making it worse?
- jedberg 4y ago
  They converted regular lanes to HOV/express, but not enough people are carpooling.
  - jeffbee 4y ago
    I don't they did. The Express lanes are either converted from existing HOV lanes (which means they are now open to more, not fewer people) or they were added (680 corridor). Unless you are talking about converted in the far far past from SOV to HOV. Examples: 880 south between Hegenberger and San Leandro was 4 lanes, widened to 5 lanes in 2015 with the addition of an HOV lane, which was then converted to an Express lane. 880 interchange with 237 used to have the left hand flyover HOV only, which was converted to Express, so now everyone can use it.
    - jedberg 4y ago
      Yeah you may be right about adding the lane, but the bigger issue is that the converted HOV to express, which means that cars with two people still have to pay and cars with one person can now pay and slow down the carpool. So now fewer people can use the carpool while at the same time others can slow down the carpool.
- pbuzbee 4y ago
  I can't comment on the recent issues, but it's always been a peeve of mine that the express lanes operate even when it's not in the main commute direction at the time. For example, the 680 lanes operate M-F, 5am-8pm. But northbound traffic in the morning isn't that bad, nor is southbound traffic in the evening. Almost no one would pay to use the express lane at these times, so you wind up with a lane that's almost completely empty and makes traffic denser in the other lanes.
uoaei 4y ago
BART and bike worked great for me today! Plenty of time to read and relax, no bullshit with other drivers cutting you off.

This work from office thing is really killing travel times in the Bay Area. 237/880 is almost back to pre-pandemic levels, the HOV lanes are making the problems worse.

jedberg 4y ago

I'm willing to accept that most of that traffic is people who can't work from home. That being said, I really do miss the traffic from those first few weeks of the pandemic, when I could get from Cupertino to the airport in 12 minutes at 6pm (a drive that now takes about 25 minutes, and pre-pandemic took 45+).

bentcorner 4y ago

Seattle area has the same issue. My job encouraged return to office end of March (and I suspect other employers in the area had similar timelines) and traffic has been steadily getting worse ever since.

jeffbee 4y ago

Explain how the HOV lanes are making it worse?

jedberg 4y ago
They converted regular lanes to HOV/express, but not enough people are carpooling.
- jeffbee 4y ago
  I don't they did. The Express lanes are either converted from existing HOV lanes (which means they are now open to more, not fewer people) or they were added (680 corridor). Unless you are talking about converted in the far far past from SOV to HOV. Examples: 880 south between Hegenberger and San Leandro was 4 lanes, widened to 5 lanes in 2015 with the addition of an HOV lane, which was then converted to an Express lane. 880 interchange with 237 used to have the left hand flyover HOV only, which was converted to Express, so now everyone can use it.
  - jedberg 4y ago
    Yeah you may be right about adding the lane, but the bigger issue is that the converted HOV to express, which means that cars with two people still have to pay and cars with one person can now pay and slow down the carpool. So now fewer people can use the carpool while at the same time others can slow down the carpool.
pbuzbee 4y ago
I can't comment on the recent issues, but it's always been a peeve of mine that the express lanes operate even when it's not in the main commute direction at the time. For example, the 680 lanes operate M-F, 5am-8pm. But northbound traffic in the morning isn't that bad, nor is southbound traffic in the evening. Almost no one would pay to use the express lane at these times, so you wind up with a lane that's almost completely empty and makes traffic denser in the other lanes.

uoaei 4y ago

BART and bike worked great for me today! Plenty of time to read and relax, no bullshit with other drivers cutting you off.