Top 10 Worst Bay Area Commutes 2016: South Bay Has 4; Peninsula Makes List

BAY AREA, CA – San Francisco and Silicon Valley freeways dominated the Top 10 most congested roads in the Bay Area in 2015, according to an annual ranking released Monday by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.

Six of the top 10 routes are in some part of San Francisco or Santa Clara counties, the ranking shows. Traffic patterns indicate that local residents are trying to get to San Francisco or Silicon Valley for work.

Topping the list is a new No. 1 — the evening commute on the Bay Bridge from San Francisco to Treasure Island.

No. 2 is notable for its duration. Highway 4, starting in Hercules, all the way to 101 across the Bay Bridge to San Francisco is now officially congested from 5:35 a.m. to 7:50 p.m. That's right...no matter how you adjust your commute, you're going to get stuck in traffic.

Three commutes made the Top 10 for the first time: No. 3 is the morning commute along southbound Interstate 680 and northbound Interstate 280 from East San Jose to Cupertino; the northbound afternoon drive on Interstate 880 from Fremont to Hayward rose to No. 9; and the afternoon commute on northbound U.S. 101 from Menlo Park to Foster City snuck in at No. 10. Welcome to the list, Peninsula.

Santa Clara County Supervisor and commission Chair Dave Cortese said job growth in San Francisco and the South Bay and the location of affordable housing are the reasons behind the congestion.

"The congestion data really underscore both robust job growth we've seen in the South Bay and San Francisco, and the persistent imbalance between where those jobs are located and where comparatively affordable housing can be found," he said in a statement.

Nearly half of a record 3.7 million jobs in the Bay Area in 2015 were located in San Francisco or in Silicon Valley, while more affordable housing is located outside of those areas.

“We all feel the impacts of traffic congestion in our daily commutes,” said San Jose Mayor and MTC Commissioner Sam Liccardo. “But today’s data starkly demonstrates how quickly we need to invest in real solutions that can provide congestion relief – expanding mass transit, improving our roads and highways, and more.”

Here are the Top 10 Worst Bay Area Commutes:

1. San Francisco to Treasure Island on the Bay Bridge, eastbound evening commute
2. East Bay to San Francisco from Hercules on Highway 4 to 101 across the Bay Bridge
3. South Bay Interstates 680 and 280 morning commute from South Jackson Avenue to Foothill Expressway
4. South Bay on 101 from North Fair Oaks Avenue to Oakland Road evening commute
5. East Bay Interstate 80 from West Grand Avenue to Gilman Street evening commute
6. East Bay/South Bay Interstate 880 from Highway 238 to Highway 237 morning commute
7. East Bay Interstate 680 from Mission Boulevard to Calaveras Road evening commute
8. South Bay Highway 101 from Silver Creek Valley Road to North Fair Oaks Avenue morning commute
9. East Bay Interstate 880 from Mowry Avenue to A Street evening commute
10. Peninsula Highway 101 from Woodside Road to Hillsdale Avenue evening commute

• Also see: Private Shuttles Surging Part Of Bay Area Transit; Annual Ridership Hits 9.6 Million

--Bay City News and Bea Karnes contributed to this report/Morguefile image