This is traffic going into the East Bay from Fremont on a Saturday. This is NOT commute traffic. But it's just as bad as. You really have to pick your trips wisely these days because the traffic everywhere is stunning. I have never ever seen it like this. Not even before the recession. Everyone is complaining. Everyone talks about several hour commutes. It's sucking the life out of people. Every accident adds an hour to your commute. And I'm not exaggerating. Used to be you could get around the Valley pretty easily before 3:00. Now bumper to bumper commute level traffic starts at 1:30 everywhere.
People are doing crazy things because the tension is really high. Like trying to pass cars by driving down the shoulder. Making illegal turns to cut lines. It's really getting sort of mad max. The minute you bring up waze all the roads are red. Even all the back roads. Neighborhoods have banded together and forced cities to make new signs so people don't invade their neighborhoods because of the Waze effect.
They've added new units to live in pretty much every city. That is a lot of extra cars. But no extra roads. It literally takes me as long on a Saturday to get into my burb from Silicon Valley as it used to take on commute days. Normally this is a half hour trip. How it's an hour and a half. It's unbelievable. When you spend an hour and a half to two hours in traffic - it just changes you.
Something has to give. If you think peak traffic precedes recessions.... well..
The first photo was from today. They below photo was from about a month ago. I honestly can't believe it every time I see it. This just started within the last year.
A girl I know said she got a job in Castro Valley. When she first started it - traffic was fine. Within six months she was going out of her mind. It's sort of been like a light switch. I wouldn't be surprised it road rage ticked up for sure.
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