Commuting from Berkeley to San Rafael -- carpool or other advice?
I'm looking a job that would require a M-F commute from Berkeley to San Rafael (near Civic Center). Any advice on how to do this without driving or if I have to drive, how to best do so?
Google says it's Bart (which I live near) to El Cerrito then two buses, which takes over an hour. How can I find out about carpools, formal or informal? Is there a better transit option?
Would love to hear your ideas!
Jun 24, 2018
Parent Replies
I commuted from Albany to downtown San Rafael for many years, until a job change just last summer. Unfortunately, there is no very good transit option. You have found BART to Del Norte, then a Golden Gate bus or buses to Marin, which works but with multiple transfers, yes it is a hassle and does take a long time. (It's also easy to get stuck on the wrong side of the Bay if you're working late! I think they've adjusted the bus routes and schedules since then to provide later evening service, but when I was using that route the last eastbound bus left the San Rafael transit center at 6:40 p.m.) I did it the bus for about a year, but when I got pregnant, I gave up and switched to driving.
For a driving commute, it isn't bad if you can avoid peak rush hour. I shifted my hours a bit later than the usual office workday, for that reason among others, and it was half an hour door-to-door. That's half the time it now takes me to commute into San Francisco on BART! So as with anything, there are tradeoffs. If you must work an 8-5 type schedule, you will have to deal with more traffic jams at the bridge. An electric or hybrid car with a HOV sticker would help as it allows you to use the carpool lane at the bridge tolls, and of course you should have Fastrak regardless.
For carpool possibilities your best bet is probably your prospective employer; you can also get some information and look for a "match" at 511.org. But as far as I know it's not an especially common thing in Marin.
Public transportation from Berkeley to Marin is very inconvenient. My husband drives. It’s about 35-45 min drive in the morning on average. I’d recommend driving. Other option is getting dropped off via carpool at downtown SR bus stop and biking to civic center. There’s a nice path along the 101 dedicated for bikers and walkers.
I think you can find carpool information at 511.com. From what I have heard & read, that commute can be brutal these days. You might look into BART to SF & a Golden Gate Transit bus to San Rafael, but that's likely to be over an hour as well.
I do this commute a few days a week (I sometimes work from home and sometimes from SF). I could carpool if you can get to Albany but I wouldn't be a totally reliable M-F solution. Feel free to message me.