Commuting to San Jose from Oakland - HOV option
Hello fellow parents. My new job has resulted in a dreaded commute from Oakland to San Jose, and I'm trying to find my best options to maximize my sanity and my mornings/evenings at home with the family. I do know that I have an Amtrak option so that is good. But my question is this. I'm thinking about leasing an electric vehicle so that I can get an HOV pass. Does anyone commute from Oakland to San Jose in the morning (and back in the evening) in the HOV lane? Can you tell me roughly how much time you save during commute hours (vs. Non HOV lane)? I'm trying to gauge if the saved time is sufficient to override the limited Amtrak schedule. Thanks for all your advice!
Chuck
Feb 16, 2017
Parent Replies
My husband does this commute daily, and we recently purchased an EV for HOV access. He saves about 15 minutes in the afternoon (NB 880) during commute hours (not sure about the morning since he goes in early before morning rush hours). As far as I'm concerned, Amtrak is way too expensive one-way to make it a long term solution. Hope that helps!
I commuted Oakland to San Jose for four years. BART to Fremont then bus was my first mode. Then Amtrak. Then carpooling with two others. Of the three, Amtrak was by far the best (great environment, reliable but limited schedule) and carpooling was probably second since I only drove every three days. The HOV lanes help but honestly not that much. Traffic jams up in San Jose and Oakland and at peak times in many other places. Stress levels on the 880 are extremely high. When I solo drove, I used 580 to 680 and it moved along better but took a long time. I really recommend Amtrak. It's guaranteed to take a long time but you can work, kick back, nap, and even have a beer while making your way home. BART offers more schedule flexibility but conditions are far less pleasant-- I still managed to nap or read. After four years, we moved to Santa Rosa where our house is one mile from work. Commuting is hard no matter which way you go.