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Christie 
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 Topic: Commuting to Palo Alto ??
Posted: March-31-2009 at 8:58am |
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My family and I are seriously considering purchasing a home in Mountain House and I am very nervous about the commute time to Palo Alto. Anyone doing the commute that can give me some insight as to how long (approx.) the drive is per day? If you Mapquest the drive it shows that it takes about 1 hour and 7 minutes - obviously this is not realistic. Any feedback or insight that anyone has is definitely appreciated!
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amandaavila214
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Posted: March-31-2009 at 1:39pm |
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Hi Christie! I work in PA and the commute was definitely my main consideration before we purchased in MH in Oct of last year. I know there are a couple others who commute to PA so maybe they can chime in as well.
Personally, on a good day, I can get to PA in an hour and half, but I take the "back way" and go through vallecitos road and 84 through Fremont to the dumbarton bridge. However, I do leave later than most, around 830 or 9. Coming home, if I leave PA around 5, it's usually an hour and a half also. Although, I tend to have a heavy foot and so it might take an average driver a little longer. If traffic is bad, I'd expect a 2 hour drive each way.
I highly recommend looking into public transportation if your schedule permits. I only drive when I absolutely have to, or when I am lazy, which is usually once a week if that. I take the ACE train from Vasco Rd. to the Fremont/Centerville station where I catch a bus (U line) to Stanford. If you want to PM me with the area in PA that you work in I am happy to try to help you, there are quite a few buses that could possibly work.
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Celebrate we will cuz life is short but sweet for certain -Dave Matthews
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Christie
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Posted: March-31-2009 at 1:49pm |
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I'm off University Avenue....I'm not sure what PM means - or how to do it for that matter. : ) Also, I will be bringing my baby to day care in Redwood City so that's another factor.
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flonaze
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Posted: March-31-2009 at 10:57pm |
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Hi! I'll be starting the same commute in just about a month. I work on University Ave. also, right by the Caltrain station. I plan to do the Ace train to the U line like Amanda, or the Dumbarton Express, although I'm sure I too will get lazy some days and drive. Sounds like we may be able to get a downtown Palo Alto carpool started. I will keep you posted on how it turns out. It was a big consideration for my husband and as well, but we feel the commute will be well worth it for the beautiful house we are buying and great community. Good luck with your decision!
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RBgizzy
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Posted: April-01-2009 at 9:03am |
Hi I also work on University. I leave at 6:30 am to get to work by 8:00 am. I notice traffic is starting to pick up again and there are a lot more people on the roads lately.
The first couple of weeks were awful but now I am fine with the commute. The only thing that I don't like is paying $4 a day to cross over the Dumbarton Bridge.
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“Take what you can from your dreams, make them as real as anything.” -Dave Matthews
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Warren
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Posted: April-01-2009 at 2:13pm |
Hi All,
I'm Christie's (the one who started this thread) husband, and I too need to commute to PA daily. This obviously makes things a bit easier for us since we will be able to car pool everyday, and with the HOV lanes opening on 580, that should make things a little less congested for us. We have an 8 month old, so either way we would need to drive at least one car to the Palo Alto area, to have immediate access to transportation if needed.
The questions I have about the commute are:
1. What are the worst times/best times for commuting to the Palo Alto area.
2. What route(s) do you take to avoid as much traffic as possible.
Thanks for the help on this. We really don't want the commute to be a deal breaker in our thoughts of buying our dream home in Mountain House.
Warren
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DANR49
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Posted: April-01-2009 at 5:23pm |
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I commute to Stanford three days leaving at about 9:30 am. I take 580 to 680 to 237 to 101. It is a couple miles longer than crossing the bridge, but shorter in time for me. I'm not paying any stinking toll! I drive about 5mph over and it takes me about 1hr 15min.
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Warren
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Posted: April-02-2009 at 7:36am |
Thanks DANR,
I assume that the later you leave, the better the commute is, but unfortunately I would need to be to work by 8:00am or 8:30am, so I'm thinking that this is going to put me right in the heart of the commute, leaving my house at 6:00am or 6:30am.
Does having the car pool make a huge difference? Besides not paying the bridge tolls of course.
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Playdoh29
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Posted: June-18-2009 at 2:41pm |
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Does the U-line have a stop anywhere by the 4 Seasons Hotel off University Avenue in PA?
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amandaavila214
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Posted: June-18-2009 at 3:27pm |
No, the U-line goes straight to the Stanford campus from Fremont with no stops in between. The Dumbarton express has more stops, however I am only familiar with one of the three different lines they offer, which didn't stop at University and 101. Here are a couple links. Dumbarton Express: http://www2.actransit.org/maps/schedule_results.php?version_id=9&quick_line=db&Go=Go&maps_line=db¤t_schedule=ALL U Line: http://www.actransit.org/maps/schedule_results.php?version_id=9&quick_line=u&Go=Go&maps_line=u¤t_schedule=ALL
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Celebrate we will cuz life is short but sweet for certain -Dave Matthews
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Paul17
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Posted: June-23-2009 at 11:17am |
 DANR49 wrote:
I commute to Stanford three days leaving at about 9:30 am. I take 580 to 680 to 237 to 101. It is a couple miles longer than crossing the bridge, but shorter in time for me. I'm not paying any stinking toll! I drive about 5mph over and it takes me about 1hr 15min. |
I commute only once a week to the office (we are off El Camino and Page Mill --- Near Fry's). I second the suggestion. In my experience it is the faster way. I leave at 9:00 am and usually I am in the office by 10:15 am. The major problem is driving back to MH. At 5:00 pm there is no short-cut or back road that will save you time. You should budget between 90 and 120 mins. Unless you leave at 7:00 pm then the traffic eases and the commute time could be as short as 60 mins.
Paolo
Edited by italicus26 - June-23-2009 at 11:17am
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tgen71
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Posted: June-27-2009 at 1:11pm |
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Currently I work in Palo Alto. Luckily I carpool with my husband. He'll drop me off at Union City BART station and I take the Dumbarton Express Bus over. It works for me. If I have to commute on my own I drive to Dublin BART and take BART to Union City BART and etc etc...
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