Casual carpool from Berkeley to SF
I live in Berkeley but may soon be contemplating a job opportunity in downtown SF. I searched the archives but it looks like the most recent posts about casual carpooling are from 2009. I used it MANY years ago. I am looking for current information about how this works for you, specifically from the N Berkeley BART station. Thanks for any stories about your experience getting rides.
Aug 18, 2016
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In my experience (rider & driver), things haven't changed much over the last 20 years, although there are separate lines for SF Downtown & the Civic Center area.
Casual carpooling is still great from N Berkeley BART. Like another poster said there are separate lines for Downtown vs Civic Center. It starts pretty early (I think lines start to form shortly after 7am) and pieters out past 8:30ish I think. I think there may be an evening route back, but most people I know just BART it back.
One note: I was actually surprised because in my casual carpooling days in Oakland we almost always provided a dollar to the driver, but no one seems to expect/ask for a dollar in Berkeley.
Got a friend that's been doing this everyday for years. He drives to N Berkeley BART and takes AC transit. Or if he has to, BART. On AC he tells me he get's a clean seat, and free WiFi.
No particular recommendation for you but as a footnote I was one of the first people to casual carpool to SF from Oakland (near the Grand Lake Theater). This was over 30 years ago. It became so popular the city installed signs making it 'official'. I also helped establish the Rockridge pickup spot @ Safeway on Claremont Ave.
I'm glad to see that it is still so popular. (I'm retired now but I see long lines on Hudson street in the morning.)
There is a site that provides some good information for carpooling. (Some of this appears to be out of date but much of it is useful.) http://www.ridenow.org/carpool/
P.S. I've used the reverse commute from SF a few times. There are signs on Beale Street identifying the east bay drop-off areas (e.g., Rockridge, Grand Lake, etc.)
P.P.S. During commute hours there is a dedicated carpool lane on the south side of the bridge (Bryant Street) that gets carpoolers on to the SFOBB. (Make a right turn from Beale.)