Forget The 405 Backup; Silicon Valley Commute The State's Worst
SAN JOSE (CBS SF) – In a state often split in half by a north-south rivalry, San Jose has grabbed a distinction from Los Angeles that it would rather not have.
According to a new study, more people have become mega-commuters in the Silicon Valley than in Los Angeles.
The study was conducted by Joint Venture Silicon Valley – a regional think tank consisting of public, private and academic leaders. To the group, any commute taking more than 90 minutes one way was considered a mega-commute.
It found that more than 5 percent of the drivers on Silicon Valley roads deal with just such a commute everyday work day. That's up from up from 3 percent in 2011.
"This is unwanted time that could be spent working, being with families or in other, more useful ways," said Jon Haveman, the report's author in a press release.
The study found that the area had a perfect storm of meg-commuting -- high-paying jobs and a scarcity of affordable housing.
The findings did not come as much of a surprise to Jaron Gulla, who battles through the congested San Jose commute every day.
"I used to live down in the LA area and it is just about as bad here as it is down there," he told KPIX 5.
The 280/680 junction in downtown San Jose is a good example of the study's results.
According to the study's authors, the junction is a convergence of commuters heading into and out of the Silicon Valley.
Those drivers come from San Francisco, Alameda County and as far away as San Joaquin County, where 13.1 percent of the workers live in communities like Tracy and slowly make their way to the Valley each day.
"It's pretty bad," said commuter Lavell Jackson. "Between 3 p.m. and let's say 8 o'clock you can't get anywhere."
Another commuter, Raul Chavez, echoed Jackson's frustrations.
"It's very bad," he said. "Especially down the 101 corridor, 87 and 28. There is no respite. Everywhere you go there is traffic."