Driving to OAK
 

I am picking up a friend arriving into OAK on Friday at 6:45 pm. I will be leaving from the Cupertino/Sunnyvale area and would like to know what the shortest way would be - I was thinking 880 up all the way, but I'm driving alone, and don't know when that freeway jams up. Maybe better to take the 280 up and cut over on one of the bridges? Would appreciate advice/experience...thanks.

SAAn FrAAN, I would recommend taking 880 as 280 tends to back up horribly on the bridge on Friday afternoons. I work only 1/2 block from the bridge, near the entrance and have rarely seem Friday traffic be smooth onto or on the Bay Bridge.

Er, SAAn FrAAn, I think you must be thinking of one of the peninsular bridges, the Dumbarton or San Mateo bridge, not the Bay Bridge.

If you are thinking of that, 101 is just as good, perhaps better than 280.

However, the bridges are probably not any better than going on 880 all the way. Basically, theres bad traffic on all the possible ways.

One possible alternate, if you have a another person with you on the way to OAK so you can take the carpool lane, is to take 237 from Sunnyvale to 880 (also use the carpool lane on Lawrence Expressway to get to 237 if you're coming from Cupertino). Without another person, forget the 237 parking lot.

I would take 880 - I don't think northbound traffic will be horrible. Much less risk than a problem over either the Dumbarton (which still requires lots of 880) or San Mateo Br.