Transbay bus proves to be a winner for some commuters
QWhen I first got my job in San Francisco, I was trying to find a way of commuting that made sense. Driving was too nervewracking and expensive. I tried BART, but had to pay for parking, leave early to get a space, had to stand both ways and then walk to the office.
Then I noticed a bus go down my street. It said Transbay. I looked it up and saw that it went right by my house, drops me a block from work and is $5 cheaper a day than any other option. It takes an hour, but it is someone else’s hassle to navigate traffic, and I have an hour of my life back to read in peace and quiet.
My best discovery since moving here. — Wendy Betteridge, San Leandro
AIt could get better, too. Once the new San Francisco Terminal is open, there will be a dedicated AC Transit onramp/offramp from the Bay Bridge that may cut 10 minutes off your commute time on the bus. This could happen later this year.
Others are noticing as well. Transbay bus ridership has grown over 30 percent in the last five years.
QRegarding the bottleneck merging north at Highway 84 and Interstate 680 where the express lane will end when construction ends, how about a connection to the 680 express lane in San Ramon? — John Glick, Pleasanton
AYour idea will happen, I’m just not sure when. The Alameda County Transportation Commission is planning to extend the carpool/express lane from the 84/680 interchange to Alcosta Boulevard to connect to the 680 express lane in Contra Costa County.
QI commuted to San Francisco over the Bay Bridge for the better part of 45 years. Recently I was cleaning out my garage and came across several dozen of the old Caltrans bridge scrip books that I used during the 1970s to 1990s before our bridges became a cash cow and tolls went up. If I had to guess I would say I have about two dozen full books and many more partial books of tickets. Perhaps worth a couple of hundred dollars or more. Can I turn these these scrip tickets in for a refund or credit on my FasTrak? — Leo Martin, Fairfield
ANo. Scrip tickets were discontinued in 2005 as well as the deadline to get a refund.
QI have asked Caltrans to fill the multiple large potholes in the slow lane on the westbound Dumbarton Bridge approach. They responded back acknowledging the problem, and that it will be resolved but gave no timeline. When will this be done? — Larry Shoemaker
ASoon. Maybe by July 4.