Commuting from Lamorinda to San Francisco
Parent Q&A
Hi! I wanted to add my 2 cents given that I did this move 11 years ago albeit from Manchester but with kids exactly the same age as you. We originally rented in Oakland to get a feel of the neighborhoods around us and where we might want to live and understand the school system. We eventually bought in orinda that is more suburban than Rockridge but the next Bart stop along and have loved it. We have been so happy here and my kids are now 17 and 13. Orinda has amazing public schools, parks, sports, cinema. Interestingly two neighbors moved in either side of us last year are both British too so I guess you’re in good company! My husband barts to south San Francisco’s each day which is a 45 min commute. To drive can be 1-1.5 hours. The pain with Bart is finding parking but he got a moped which allows for free and easy parking each day. Good luck with the move - it’ll be great and you’ll love it here!
Archived Q&A and Reviews
Questions
Carpooling in Orinda
Feb 2011
My husband used to carpool in Oakland before we moved to Orinda. He wants to continue carpooling but he doesn't know where to park his car! We live pretty far from BART so he can't just walk to the carpool lane. Do you know of areas around downtown Orinda where he can park to carpool without getting ticketed? Is it OK to park in nearby residential streets where restrictions are not displayed, ie they don't have street signs stating you can't park there. Thank you! wanna carpool
I haven't commuted into SF for 7 years, but when I did I got a monthly parking pass at Theater Square. It was perfect: cheap (about $50), safe and covered, and ideal for both casual carpool and BART parking. Ex-commuter
Commuting to San Francisco from Moraga
Jan 2007
I am contemplating a move to Moraga and am trying to research the commute. I would be commuting as a solo driver (I am not allowed to pick up casual carpoolers), most likely from the southern part of town. How long will it take me to drive to downtown SF from there? I am interested in best-case scenario, worst-case scenario, and the average. Also - what's the back-up like for the tunnel in the morning/evening? Anon
The only way to really find out is to go do it, as it will vary mostly by the time you leave. But have you considered driving to Orinda bart? anon
My husband communtes from our home in Moraga to SF almost everyday. We live in the south part of Moraga, which is the area nearest to Canyon. He says it takes anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes to get to the city -- the 90 minutes obviously being when something bad happens on the roads, which would affect the commute wherever you live in the East Bay. Also, he says the tunnel flows in the morning (sometimes slowly, but it moves) because both bores are headed west. Only if there is an accident is there a problem. Also, the most common delays happen on the approach to the bridge, which would affect you if you were coming from just about anywhere east of SF.
Here are his tips:
--Take BART if you can.
--If you go down Moraga Way through Orinda to Hwy 24, you need to leave the house before 7:15 or after 8:30 am. (There is a bit of commute traffic, and the high school traffic adds a lot.) Otherwise, it can take you half an hour just to get to the freeway.
-- If you need to leave for the city between 7:15 and 8:30 or if Moraga Way is backed up, you can go over Pinehurst Road (in Canyon)to Redwood Road, and then down to 580. (Everyone around here calls that ''going the back way.'' I've done this going into Oakland many times and it is pretty darn quick--it will take you either to Redwood Road or to Montclair, depending on which way you go--plus it is a beautiful drive...but don't do it when it is freezing! The road gets dangerously slippery.) Moraga Momma
I live in south Orinda, and my experience is that the *real* back-up happens long before you reach the freeway or the tunnel. At some times in the morning, instead of the usual 6 minutes to the freeway from my house, it can take more than 20. Moraga Way is only two lanes and can't handle all the a.m. commuters as well as traffic from kids headed to school. Orindan
My brother-in-law also commutes from Moraga (nr. Canyon). I don't know if this is feasible for you, but he drives over the Canyon road and then picks up casual carpoolers on Park Blvd. in Oakland. He works right downtown so it is easy for him to drop them off in the a.m. anon
Bart.gov. Try it.