Traffic

Traffic Issues? Maybe a letter to the local govt? More often than not there is a certain amount of funding per zip. Making them aware is probably the best way to go. Perhaps an automated letter to local govt feature on StreetAdvisor??

Forget it, you can't fix traffic. More people each year, more cars - we just cant keep up. I read that Singapore improved traffic by making it so expensive to get a car (by taxes) that nobody drives!

I absolutely adore Pacific Heights. Some of the most amazing real estate anywhere in the world along with incredible views over the bay. If I win the lottery that's my new home.

I don't know how anyone can afford to have a car in the city. I had a friend a few years ago that was paying more rent on his car than I did on my rent.

No kidding, Owl. And even if you get one of those parking permits you still end parking on the street blocks away from your apartment. The year I spent living in North Beach, I had my little crappy car broken into three times. Twice they got my radio and once the guy was still sleeping in it when I got to it in the morning.

Oh my! What did you do?

I had forgotten my cell phone that day, so I ran back to my apartment and called the police. By the time I got back to the spot the guy was gone.

My car smelled awful for days--very traumatic.

That sounds terrible.

It was. You feel so violated afterwards. And the idea of someone being in your car, touching your stuff, looking at papers I had in the glove compartment and all that just makes you feel really creepy. I can almost understand how people can be so reactionary after an experience like that.

It could have been worse though. When I was in college, I had a girlfriend that lived in the city and one night after she had parked her car and was making her way back to her apartment she got mugged.

It's really not safe for a girl living like that. You're just too easy a target, I guess. If I had to do over again, I would definitely bite the bullet and get a garage space for my car. The security is worth it, I think.

Traffic is horrible all over the Bay Area. I want to beat myself with a wooden stick every time I have to encounter it (okay, not really, but that pretty much sums it up). Solutions? Don't know. Obviously the whole toll price change hasn't worked yet...

At least the Bay Area has a pretty good public transportation system with BART and MUNI. I grew up in LA and it really was not feasible to live there and not have a car. I've met several people here, however, that go with out a car and are surprised when they have to learn how to drive when they go other places.

Sacramento is like a mini-LA in that regard - traffic is blocked, the area is comprised of houses, so expansion is horizontal rather than vertical, the public transport consists of a sketchy light rail system, and you don't even bother venturing near I-80 between 3 PM and 7 PM. At least people there ride bikes...

Actually in Los Angeles the locals are slowly coming around to appreciate the benefits of public transportation. Since they introduced the Metrolink (the equivalent of our BART) in 1992, ridership has considently increased. About 40,000 people rode it every day last year. It's only a drop in the bucket, but they now have the infrastructure to break away from their obsession with the automobile, I think.

@Doc: I havent' been back to LA in a while. I had heard about their having a train but I hadn't realized it was anywhere near on the scale of our system. I'll have to try it out, next time that I am there.