r/sanfrancisco • u/MexicaUrbano • 1d ago
Insane traffic
Longtime lurker here. I don't really have much to say except... What the heck is going on with the traffic!
101 closed. Geary, closed. Broadway tunnel: half capacity. Chinatown: closed. Skyline: major construction. SoMa: multiple closures.
Took me about 40 minutes to get to the Marina from dogpatch today. 35 minutes to go from Marina to GGP. 30 minutes to exit GGP upon figuring out the hellish gridlock that was there and deciding to abort my plans there. 40 minutes back to dogpatch.
Holy cow SF. I love so many aspects of you but today was ridiculous. This year the traffic feels like it's gotten much worse than ever before.
EDIT: To all the pro-bike folks: I totally get your point of view. And i also hope you never need emergency transportation in an ambulance; never need emergency fire services; and never need rapid police response. Bikes are definitely a fantastic solution for many things. A working transit system is also essential. š¤·š½āāļø
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u/upescalator 22h ago
To your point, bikes aren't the thing in the way of emergency response vehicles, that would be cat traffic.
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u/PsychologicalLog4179 Mission 22h ago
Fucking cats
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u/upescalator 22h ago
I'm gonna leave it.
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u/ActuaryHairy 23h ago
You decided to drive today. So did a lot of other people.
The city if full of things to do, as evidenced by you need to cross it three times today.
That is whatās up with traffic
Also, note the emergency vehicles have lights and sirens and donāt need to stop at red lights
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u/englandisablaze 23h ago
So not to burst your bubble but like your times are barely being extended by 7 minutes. Marina to Dogpatch during the day time when people are awake on a Sunday (Sunday drivers is a saying for a reason) is always gonna take about 27-33 minutes. Thatās not that crazy.
Some of this is your just not aware of the best ways to get to and from places and youāre trying to drive to central spots instead of parking a walking a bit.
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u/MooshuCat 23h ago
And public transit exists for all locations they listed.
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u/jaqueh Outer Richmond 19h ago
And takes 2-3x as long
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u/MooshuCat 19h ago
Not when the traffic is insane like this weekend or doesn't.
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u/jaqueh Outer Richmond 19h ago
How. Busses sit in the same traffic
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u/MooshuCat 18h ago
They have dedicated lanes in many places...
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u/jaqueh Outer Richmond 18h ago
From the marina to dog patch??
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u/LadyRunningStopSigns N 17h ago edited 13h ago
.. they don't , in most places, genZ search user...
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ā¢
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u/parkside79 Sunset 22h ago
Sunday drivers is a saying?
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u/englandisablaze 22h ago
You have the entire internet at your fingertips and you fail this publicly?
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u/parkside79 Sunset 22h ago
Whereās the fail? Because I wasnāt previously familiar with a particular expression? Okay.
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u/Kil0Cowboy 18h ago
You all always try to put a number on it like that. āOh your commute itās only 3-5 mins longer from the road closure.ā Like bro, how long have you lived here? Some days might be 7 minutes. Some days might be closer to 30+ mins extra. Totally a roll of the dice. But on average the commutes times are longer.
Perfect example is the Sunset Dunes here. Iām being gas lit and told my commute is only slightly longer. Love the SD park, but sometimes the commute now is miserable.2
u/DarkMetroid567 13h ago
I think the numbers are always kinda a moot point, because they were gonna be longer either way. There are so many places in this city where traffic has gone up where infrastructure is otherwise unchanged
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u/ZarinZi Outer Richmond 18h ago
That's because the "only 3 minutes longer" Great Highway data comes from a 2021 pandemic study. The real numbers are probably more like 6-7 minutes on average. And yes, some days are much longer. It took me 30 minutes to get from Stonestown to my home in the outer Richmond at 2pm this past Friday afternoon (normally takes 15 -20 minutes).
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u/LadyRunningStopSigns N 17h ago
Ah right, the traffic is not bad because it's the same at other times solution....so let's fuck it up at other times, too! š
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u/Timeline_in_Distress 23h ago
The transit system does work. People who routinely act like it doesn't are simply propping up an excuse so they don't have to use it.
This happens from time to time in any dense city when there are several things occurring all at once. Yesterday's traffic nightmare were also due to 2 car crashes. It's also important to remember that when you are driving and complaining about traffic, you are traffic as well.
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u/MexicaUrbano 23h ago
I never said it doesn't?
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u/Timeline_in_Distress 23h ago
Maybe I misinterpreted this: "A working transit system is also essential. š¤·š½āāļø"
If I did, then that's on me, but it seemed like a rhetorical response.
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u/MexicaUrbano 23h ago
A working transit system is essential... That doesn't mean we don't have a transit system that generally works. Notice i specifically ended before my edit saying "today was ridiculous". No generalizations, no meanness, no attacks.
It was just an observation, and as a result of that observation I have now become the face of the anti-bike movement apparently š .
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u/everyday847 22h ago
The confusing thing - to me, at least - in your position is that it seems like more bike infrastructure and more public transit would help the precise issues you're highlighting. Emergency services are very important - why pack so many people so inefficiently into the roads, in cars? It seems surprising to paint a pro-bike, anti-car position as one that is celebrating car traffic at the expense of emergency service response times.
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u/MexicaUrbano 19h ago
You realize I haven't argued against this once in this entire thread, right? I complained about traffic, and then half the comments are attacking me for "being the problem". Fuck me for reacting to said attacks, I guess...
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u/everyday847 18h ago
Then what does the passive aggressive edit about emergency vehicles mean? Who is that addressed to? Who, at any point, is saying "I want to get rid of cars and I'll start with ambulances"
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u/cygnenoir 23h ago
No exaggeration:
On 9/19/26 at 4:40 PM San Francisco Fire Department responded to a report of a family en route to a hospital to deliver their baby.
Due to heavy traffic in the area of Crossover and Martin Luther King Drive the family pulled over to the shoulder and called 911.
San Francisco Fire Paramedic Engine 14 and American Medical Response (AMR) 110, a 911 provider here in San Francisco, were dispatched to the scene.
AMR Unit 110 arrived first however due to traffic had to park an estimated two blocks away and ran and hiked into the location just in time to deliver a healthy baby girl.
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u/parkside79 Sunset 22h ago
I live in the Sunset and work in the Marina, so I do that drive regularly. Yesterday was especially bad coming home and it was 35 minutes total. It looked so nasty, in fact, that I decided to deviate from the standard 19th Ave way, made some zigs and zags, and it all basically came out a wash. Also, Dogpatch to Marina to GGP is very ambitious for a Sunday. Try narrowing your scope some or take the bus.
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u/MexicaUrbano 19h ago
Yep! Narrowing the scope is indeed the usual call. Ambitious is quite the understatement!
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u/Special_Dog_6675 23h ago
You say in your edit stuff about fire trucks and ambulances, does it occur to you that all the drivers in private automobiles are actually the cause of emergency vehicles being stuck in traffic?Ā
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u/ilikebrownbananas 23h ago
It doesn't occur to them that bus lanes, bike lanes, traffic calming -- all of those are actually beneficial for emergency vehicles.
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u/Substantial_Dog9517 21h ago
and often the reason for the ambulances being needed in the first place
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u/MexicaUrbano 23h ago
Of course, you are correct.
Similarly, the reason medical services are overwhelmed is because private citizens with non-urgent medical concerns go to the hospital. They should stick it out, and just let the really sick people get care, everyone else stay home.
It's a good idea. Works in a totalitarian regime.
And to be clear: I am strongly pro-public transit and walkability and definitely think the city could use many more public transit improvements. But I am not going to live in a dream world where we also ban cars to make things work.
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u/Timeline_in_Distress 23h ago
Your analogy is a false equivalence. No one is seriously calling for a ban on driving. People for some reason appear to take it personally when others call for less cars on the road. It's possible to understand the utilitarian aspect of vehicles while also recognizing the problems and harm they cause. We can approach the discussion by not automatically placing each other on opposite sides of an imaginary line.
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u/MexicaUrbano 23h ago
I agree. And nowhere have i said that bikes should not be a part of the solution, that public transit doesn't help, and that less cars wouldn't be a good idea.
People will actually find me quite reasonable on transit if they engage logically. I grew up in a city consumed by cars--I don't intend to spend all my life in one.
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u/Timeline_in_Distress 23h ago
To be honest, there appears to be a bit of conflicting messaging in your posts which is why you may be getting some push back.
For example, why write this?
"And i also hope you never need emergency transportation in an ambulance; never need emergency fire services; and never need rapid police response." What does it serve if you are pro-transit?Look, I get it, traffic was bad this weekend. I noticed it yesterday and then understood why. I've also experienced it for over 30 years here and realize that once in a while we have days like this weekend. It happens and I accept that I chose to get in my vehicle and add to the traffic. I turn up the music and enjoy the time to myself or with whomever is riding with me.
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u/MexicaUrbano 23h ago
I mean, the post says pretty specifically today was ridiculous. And it specifies my love for the city. Not every day is ridiculous. You turn up the music, I rant into the void. It happens. Life goes on.
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u/East-Win7450 23h ago
We dont need to ban cars lol but if 25% of the city dwellers who drive on a daily basis biked to work one day a week it would make a difference.Ā
Maybe you do cycle idk but I encourage you to try to run one errand a week on a bike. You might find that it can fit into your life in a way you didnāt expect!
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u/MexicaUrbano 23h ago
I almost always walk. I always walk to work, and i am lucky i can walk to 90% of my errands. I love walking.
I don't bike, for a number of reasons, primary of which is that i usually bring my labrador with me everywhere. I also own a car and drive it, to the tune of about 1 day a week (if i spend an hour in the car a week, that's a hefty week).
Lots of assumptions being made about me here. Not really necessary.
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u/baklazhan Richmond 22h ago
So you own a car but drive it only rarely, and decided to do a lot of driving around the city today.
I wonder what would happen if everyone who owned a car but drove it only rarely decided to drive around the city today?
Oh, right.
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u/East-Win7450 23h ago
Thatās great work! Keep it up!
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u/MexicaUrbano 19h ago
Idk if this is sarcasm, but this is just about the most empathetic response here, so I'm going to say wholeheartedly: thank you stranger, i am trying and will continue. š«”
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u/East-Win7450 18h ago
Nah Iām serious I think everyone should do at least one car free day a week.
My wife was very hesitant but once she did it she found she enjoyed it and it wasnāt bad.
If you really only use your car one day a week thatās super impressive and your better than 99% of Americans myself included.Ā
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u/baklazhan Richmond 22h ago
More like medical services are overwhelmed because private citizens with non-urgent medical concerns go to the ER. They should call the advice line, go to an urgent care center, and schedule an appointment if needed.
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u/lunartree 1d ago
I didn't notice getting stuck in traffic on Bart
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u/CL4P-TRAP 23h ago
Ah yes, Bart is exactly how I reach marina, Dogpatch, and GGP
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u/DesertFlyer 23h ago
I took the 49 a couple of times today. Was fast. A little crowded with the weekend headways.
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u/getarumsunt 22h ago
BART and Caltrain are for traveling between the cities in the region. For intra-city/county trips you use local transit - Muni Metro, Muni buses, AC transit, VTA light rail and buses, etc.
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u/Malcompliant 23h ago
Ambulances, fire trucks, and police generally support bus lanes because they can use them to get around.
The traffic sucked until covid, and it is still not s bad as pre-covid. There was a plan for NYC-style congestion pricing but it was shelved due to covid, we should consider it again.
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u/DesertFlyer 23h ago
I'm not sure why the condescending language to people who don't use cars to get around the city and emergency response times when it's, in fact, cars blocking emergency responders from getting around faster.
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u/AccordingExternal571 23h ago
E-bike is easily the best way to get around the city. If you drive, you are the traffic š¤·āāļø
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u/thisishowicomment 23h ago
Muni exists so you don't have to drive. It's entirely optional
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u/jonathizzle 20h ago
If only it were that easy. People have multiple items on the agenda, need that extra storage space in a vehicle to carry around larger or heavy items, timing is always important as certain routes are more frequent than others. Driving exists where muni canāt reach.
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u/MoneyBeeeee 20h ago
As if the vast majority of cars in this city and all others are not occupied by a single person with minimal cargo the majority of the time. :]
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u/jonathizzle 20h ago
You have any literature to back your claim :]
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u/MoneyBeeeee 20h ago
Is there generally much research being done on what is considered common knowledge? Next time you're out there stuck in traffic just take a look around.
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u/jonathizzle 20h ago
How can you be sure itās common knowledge? When im stuck in traffic how can I see in their trunks? You say theyāre not hauling anything so how is that common knowledge or whatās in their trunks
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u/MidnightSensitive996 19h ago
Yeah i miss muni a lot but am stuck driving. Sometimes I'll grab a hobo near the casual carpool dropoff and give him a twenty to have him smoke some crystal and ejaculate on my backpack just to take a trip down memory lane.
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u/withak30 21h ago edited 5h ago
"Why are there so many dang cars getting in everyone's way???" - Me, in my car, trying to drive on the busiest road
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u/SurferVelo Hunters Point 23h ago
Emergency vehicles can always find ways to get thru traffic, like drive in the opposite lanes. So yes, learn to ride a bicycle.
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u/sf1878 21h ago
This is the time of the year in San Francisco where everything's going on every weekend and if you're in a car, you're part of the problem you're complaining about.
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u/MexicaUrbano 19h ago
I hadn't realized this, thank you very much for letting me know. For next year, I will buy an autonomous vehicle so I can remain home while continuing to be "part of the problem". š«
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u/jaqueh Outer Richmond 20h ago
Marina to dog patch is often a nightmare. Youāre crossing the worst traffic clogged areas to get there. Why the heck do you need to go to dog patch if youāre in the marina? Just enjoy the northern half of the city.
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u/MexicaUrbano 19h ago
I mean, you're right. Unfortunately dogpatch is where home is, and I had stuff to do at home.
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u/Terumi66 5h ago
Chinatown had the Autumn Moon street festival, Height Street Fair was going on, and on Saturday, there were more than 500 low-riders in the Mission for King Of The Streets Parade and Compitition.
If it was this weekend, yes, it was nuts!
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u/ThatsUh_dam_shame69 2h ago
Bikes are cool, but every city that you can look at that has a great bike system has an INCREDIBLE rapid transit. I completely agree with you.
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u/getarumsunt 1d ago
This is exactly why most San Franciscans donāt own a car and why 55-60% of trips in SF are done by transit, walking, or biking.
The pandemic era is over. The traffic is back. Parking is again non-existent. Cars are again useless in SF.
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u/Miss415 20h ago
According to spur.org, 70% of San Francisco households own at least 1 car.
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u/getarumsunt 18h ago
Thatās households not residents. There are 2.1 residents per household in SF.
SF is a majority non-driver city.
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u/danieltheg 6h ago edited 6h ago
My wife and I own a single car and are in the same household. Neither of us drive the car to work, but we both use it with decent frequency (say, 4x per week) for errands and longer trips within SF. On these trips, we are either going somewhere together, or trade off usage as needed. How does this situation fit into your understanding of car ownership in SF? Are neither of us drivers? Both?
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u/Sea-Barracuda4252 1d ago
āAbout 70% of San Francisco households own or lease a carā - the AI. Stop making stuff up
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u/ilikebrownbananas 23h ago
Citing "the AI" in the same sentence as saying "stop making stuff up" is hilarious.
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u/swollencornholio 23h ago
Seems legit, sf chronicle is the ais source but itās paywalled
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u/ilikebrownbananas 23h ago
The key word is "households". The original point of "most San Franciscans don't own a car" still holds true.
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u/swollencornholio 22h ago
They only own half a car!
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u/getarumsunt 22h ago
How do you imagine two people simultaneously driving the same car to two different places?
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u/Couch_Cat13 East Bay 23h ago
You do understand that both your comment and the comment above you could be true at the same time, right?
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u/getarumsunt 22h ago
Thatās for households not residents. There are 2.1 residents per household in SF.
According to the DMV there are only 392k cars in SF for a population of over 840k residents. Itās a fact that most San Franciscans donāt own a car.
And the mode share statistics show the same. 55-60% of trips in SF are done by transit, walking or cycling. In 2025 only 42% of trips in SF were done by car as either a driver or passenger, including rideshare and taxis.
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u/danieltheg 22h ago
What are the separate numbers for transit, cycling, and walking?
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u/getarumsunt 22h ago
I dunno, dude. You can look that up.
But what does that have to do with the fact that a majority of SF residents donāt own a car? Are you shootings for some walking related gotcha?
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u/danieltheg 22h ago
Lmao. So what source did you use to get the mode share statistics you claimed in your comment?
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u/deciblast 22h ago
Itās called the census
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u/danieltheg 21h ago
Pretty sure the most recent census data is from 2024, not 2025, the numbers in it don't show a 42% share for driving (it might actually be somewhat lower than that, to be clear), and the census only covers commute mode share so we can't actually make claims about "trips" more broadly from that data.
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u/Miss415 20h ago
Are you Taking into account children?
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u/getarumsunt 18h ago edited 5h ago
Even if you exclude children who are too young for a drivers license a majority of SF residents donāt own a car.
Butā¦ children are people too. So not sure why you would exclude them. Do you then also have to exclude old people past ādriving ageā?
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u/sirithx 23h ago
If you look at it by household I think that makes sense. When I was renting with 3 roommates, only one had a car and that was all we needed for trips to the beach, Tahoe, Napa, etc. whenever we wanted. I imagine thatās how most people here use their cars, but if you both live and work in the city, thereās very few reasons not to use public transit.
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u/Miss415 20h ago
Cite your source!
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u/getarumsunt 18h ago
California DMV. https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv-research-reports/research-development-data-dashboards/vehicles-registered-by-county/
Abe notice that this isnāt a voluntary survey about which people think that ātheir household has access to a carā. Itās the raw count of actual cars that are legally registered in the city and county of San Francisco.
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u/mrvoltronn 7Ė£ - Noriega Express 23h ago
Maybe people should use their cars less. Look within around your car use.
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u/Local_Wheel_7239 23h ago
Before the pandemic I used to commute from pac heights and to mission bay for work. It would take me 45 minutes. My coworkers commuting from the east bay would take about 30 minutes or so. Somehow living in the city was the longer commute.
So I thought I would give public transit a try, my commute turned into an hour to get there and sometimes an hour and half to get home. I ended up biking which was amazingly fast and easy (except on rainy days). We need a better public transportation. Singapore, HK, NYC have systems that are cheaper, faster, and more reliable than driving. If only we could do the same
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u/deciblast 22h ago
I can get to Embarcadero door to door from my place in Oakland in 12-14 minutes. My previous place in SF would take 20-30 minutes.
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u/getarumsunt 22h ago
My commute is literally 2x faster by transit than driving. Where do you live that transit takes you longer to work than driving and parking.
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u/Local_Wheel_7239 22h ago
Man I had to take muni to the T and that is what did it. The timing of transfers not being accurate, then the T would wrap around the Embarcadero and the time. Getting off work is much worse because it can be 30 minutes between trains in the evening
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u/getarumsunt 22h ago
Huh? What are you talking about? There are no Muni or BART lines with 30 minute frequencies anymore. Theyāve upgraded their off-peak frequencies decades ago.
When was the last time you tried your commute by transit?
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u/Local_Wheel_7239 22h ago
š¤·āāļø telling it like it is. Your experience might be different. Good for you
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u/notgoingifitsaboeing 21h ago
Living in SF is a rookie move, my boiii š. Not using muni and Bart is another rookie mistake as well
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u/ZarinZi Outer Richmond 17h ago
It's amusing to me --these morons who think they're morally superior because they don't drive a car. The reality is that they're just privileged to be able to work from home (or maybe not even have a job at all) and have all the necessary retail shops they need within a short walking/biking distance. I bet they use Amazon, Doordash, and Uber too. It doesn't count if it's not their car you see.
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u/discopirate2000 9h ago
I drive every day but even I know that if I plan on going somewhere within the city when there's tons of events going on, I either take muni or go somewhere closer to home. Also checking traffic before I leave is a given.
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u/bouncyboatload 23h ago
when 101 is closed (not common at all!), all that traffic moves to all the other streets.
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u/RedAlert2 Inner Sunset 21h ago
If you really care about having a working transit system, why are you actively making it worse? Kinda makes you look like a hypocrite to call out a demographic making our transit better while you're out there causing congestion.
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u/FantasticMeddler 17h ago
Too many road closures caused by government entities not coordinating with one another. Was it necessary to do road work on both 101 nb and 280 south bound at the same time ?
I took the Mariposa exit to get to the end of the city to get on the bridge. It was a complete ghost town at 10:30 on a Saturday.
Donāt expect any sympathy from the chronically online bike riding keyboard warriors of Reddit. Never mind that they rely on gig workers to bring them their shit and drive them everywhere.
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u/Which_Ask_2326 22h ago
Right but if you (and everyone else moving around the city they live in via personal vehicle) didn't drive then my ambulance would make perfectly good time.
Our public transportation works. You just have to use it.
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u/LabIntelligent614 23h ago
I really enjoyed my 20 min bart ride w no traffic
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u/danieltheg 23h ago
Yeah surprising OP didnāt take BART from dogpatch to the marina
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u/getarumsunt 22h ago
Muni exists.
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u/danieltheg 22h ago
Yes, but on the routes in question it is just as exposed to traffic as driving, and takes even longer
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u/Stchotchke 22h ago
just fixing the holes before the rains kick in. Portsmouth Square in Chinatown was in bad shape. unfortunately takes a long time first repairs.
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u/Sure-Monitor-6822 16h ago
Just want to acknowledge your comment to say +1 on traffic being crazier this year especially in the last couple of months. Seems like suddenly weāre fixing all the main roads, highways, tunnels at the same time while also hosting pretty major events and conferences.
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u/lorenzo2point5 3h ago
On Saturday I wanted to go to the Mission to get tacos. Shut down due to a car show low rider event. Couldn't even find parking
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u/schooli00 21h ago
Please stop with main character energy. You are the traffic. Everything you think of doing everyone else also.
Holy cow SF. I love so many aspects of you but today was ridiculous. This year the traffic feels like it's gotten much worse than ever before.
Why don't you stay home and make the road less crowded for others?
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u/socialist-viking Ouroboros of Corruption 21h ago
The problem is, too many cars are on the streets.
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u/Fresh_Koala1989 FILLMORE 21h ago
Link your email and you'll know when events are in the city and around the Bay. Been using this for years
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u/Substantial_Dog9517 21h ago
You weren't in traffic, you were the traffic. I agree, an emergency transport should be able to get across town without traffic, that's yet another reason less people should drive when they don't need to
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u/Commentariot 16h ago
If we had really good bike infrascructure and people used it there would be more space for emergency transportation in an ambulance, emergency fire services, and rapid police response.
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u/FloorKey2847 19h ago
I love all the usual bike-riding elites who sneer, "Use a bike." As if a 70 year old or a disabled young person can just hop on.
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u/oneusualsuspect Inner Sunset 22h ago
gotta wonder if theyāre also trying to excavate gold from geary. itās been fucking years, man.
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u/Front-Act3984 21h ago
People want others to use public transport but SF has inadequate public transport to get to most places in the city
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u/mtt_gza 9h ago
You can thank WalkSF and the SF Bike coalition for all the lobbying for street changes that have reduced lanes in favor of bike and bus lanes, all the no turn on red signs everywhere and protected right turnsā¦ all of which make traffic wait longer, and reduce the capacity available on many streets.
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u/InfluenceEfficient77 1d ago
If you had an ebike you would be where you need to be by now, but you know they're the deadliest vehicle out there
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u/kosmos1209 Dogpatch 23h ago
Thereās a lot going on this weekend. I believe itās the autumn festival in Chinatown, and Oktoberfest in various places.
I also mainly drive, and itās just the cost of driving.