Choices
Napa Commuters have three choices: bus, ferry or car.
For jobs within the county or in adjoining counties, many people will be able to make the trip within a half hour.
For the East Bay (Contra Costa and Alameda), on many days, the commute will come in about an hour or slightly more.
For San San Francisco by car … 1.5 hours and on really congested days, 2 hours or more.
If you take the ferry or a bus, maybe 1.5 hours.
Big Picture
Over two-thirds of the county’s residents live in two cities: Napa and American Canyon.
The first is about 10 to 15 miles from Interstate 80. The second, American Canyon, about five miles from Interstate 80.
Highway 29 is the main road to these cities. It’s a four-lane arterial that moves fairly fast and several years ago its junction with Highway 37 at Vallejo was rebuilt, greatly easing the transition to Interstate 80.
Napa County, internally, suffers from traffic congestion, the fault of its beauty, its wineries and its restaurants. They attract about 5 million visitors, especially in summer and fall (harvest time) and on weekends.
But tourists rarely turn out at peak commute hours.
During these hours, many residents will encounter little trouble getting out of the county and connecting to Interstate 80.
That’s when the problems start.
Interstate 80 to San Francisco
This freeway crosses the Carquinez Strait at Vallejo-Crockett and almost in a straight line carries traffic to the Bay Bridge and to San Francisco.
At peak hours, it is, according to several studies, the most congested freeway in the Bay Region. The fault is not so much the freeway itself. It has been widened and many of its ramps have been overhauled.
Rather it’s the Bay Bridge and San Francisco, the toll collectors, the driving habits of commuters and the continuing development of Contra Costa and Solano counties.
About three of every four commuters drive solo, government studies show.
More homes mean more commuters. No matter how fast the improvements, the additional vehicles are overtaking them.
The Bay Bridge by itself is a bottleneck simply because its six or so lanes are transiting traffic from freeways with a much greater number of lanes.
Also the bridge stops or slows drivers to collect a toll. This toll is levied on people going into the City; the opposite way is free.
San Francisco has a deep dislike of the car and the freeway that shows itself by skimping on access ramps and parking. Even if it loved the car, the City might not be able to make great improvements. Cars and trucks take up a lot of space; many cities have trouble with them.
After slogging down the freeway and crawling over the bridge you still have to put up with congested streets, traffic lights and parking regulatori who aggressively enforce the laws.
Interstate 80 to Napa
On the way home, traffic is often congested and at the bridge at Crockett-Vallejo there intrudes more toll collectors.
The result: Another traffic mess, especially on Fridays when many people are using Interstate 80 to get to Tahoe and the ski slopes. Frequently, traffic backs up to Hercules, about four miles short of the bridge.
The Interstate 80 Alternatives
Let’s stay with the car for a while. If you are working in Oakland, Berkeley or any city along the East Bay shore, the car might still be the fastest and most flexible way to go.
El Cerrito and Richmond have BART stations. BART runs commute trains to San Francisco, San Mateo and many cities in the East Bay.
Some Napa residents might be able to combine driving with BART for a faster commute.
The other choices:
The Ferry
Baylink runs a commute ferry from Vallejo to downtown San Francisco, a journey of one hour. Phone (877) 643-3779.
The ferry station, close to downtown Vallejo, has a large parking lot.
Four large catamarans do the hauling. They start slowly until they clear the Napa River, then on the bay they open the throttle and whisk you off to the Ferry Building, where bus connections can be made. As the ferries do not have to fight traffic, they deliver reliable schedules.
The Vine, the public bus service for Napa County, runs buses down to the Vallejo terminal.
San Francisco Bus
These buses go from the Vallejo ferry terminal to downtown San Francisco, traveling the dreaded Interstate 80 and the Bay Bridge. The time, an estimated one hour but this will be influenced by traffic conditions.
This bus service has a decided advantage over many cars.
Most of Interstate 80 sets aside the left lane for buses and car poolers. No toll. Buses sail through. Connections to other buses in downtown San Fran.
Napa to Central Contra Costa
This is the Interstate 680 corridor, which has job centers at Concord, Walnut Creek and San Ramon. And a little farther south, in Alameda County, at Dublin, Livermore and Pleasanton.
At Vallejo, Napa commuters pick up Highway 780, which takes them over to the Benicia-Martinez Bridge and Interstate 680.
This bridge is also crippled with toll collectors and has its daily and Friday backups, northbound, that extend for miles.
But relief is coming in 2007 when a second bridge is scheduled to open.
Napa to Sacramento and Davis
Davis has a University of California and employs thousands. The university is famous for its wine research and has close connections to many wineries.
You pick up Interstate 80 at Vallejo and it’s freeway all the way, both to Davis and Sacramento. The Sacramento is a narrow river; the freeways treat it like it was a gully. No toll plazas. When the freeway flows, the drive is less than an hour.
Busing Around Napa
The Vine provides service throughout the county. Phone (707) 251-2800. Free shuttle service in downtown Napa.
San Francisco by Golden Gate Bridge
This route might make sense for people working in the Presidio or the north side of San Francisco. Two choices:
Highway 37 from Vallejo to Highway 101, connecting at Novato. When Highway 37 moves, it’s not that bad because it’s not that long, about 13 miles. But it’s only two lanes. When the inevitable fender bender or worse happens, you can sit for hours.
Interstate 80 to Richmond Parkway to San Rafael Bridge (I-580)
Probably the better choice. It hooks you up to Highway 101 in San Rafael, much closer to the Golden Gate Bridge.
Short cuts and Other Choices
• Car pooling. If you can car pool, you get the diamond lanes, free parking in San Fran and a faster, cheaper commute. To get into a pool, call RIDES at 5-1-1.
• FasTrak. Don’t’ stop at toll booths. Set up account at FasTrak. Scanner reads your sticker and debits your account. Applications at toll booths.
• Off hours. If you can start work early and leave early, you will beat many of the jams. Some large employers are scheduling this way.
• Amtrak. The closest station is in Martinez (Contra Costa County). Amtrak provides bus service to and from Napa County. For information, (800) 872-7245. Trains to Central Valley, to East Coast via Sacramento and Reno, and to Southern Cal.
• Airports. Buses to Oakland and San Francisco International Airports. Private firm, Evans, 707-255-1559. Also runs limos to airports.
Miscellaneous:
• All but two counties in the Bay Area have increased their sales tax to fund road improvements. The exceptions are Napa and Solano. In 2006, both made another try for an increase, which requires two-thirds approval or about 67 percent. The Napa measure won 53 percent of the vote, the Solano 55 percent.
These measures historically have given a rough idea of commuting pain. Where the pain is high, the measures pass. Where it’s low or tolerable, the measures fail. Although a majority in both counties favor the tax, the results indicate that many residents consider the commute endurable.
• Tolls, $6 on the Golden Gate Bridge, $4 on other bridges. One way. Return crossing free.
• Campaign underway to increase the use of Fastrak. More lanes to be opened in toll plazas.
