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A computer upgrade shut down BART

(www.bart.gov)
232 points ksajadi | 6 comments | 05 Sep 25 14:52 UTC | HN request time: 0.846s | source | bottom
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linguae ◴[05 Sep 25 17:44 UTC] No.45141358[source]▶
I’m at a conference at Stanford University right now. I was going to take BART and the Dumbarton Express to avoid having to drive in traffic, but when I drove to the Dublin BART station, I found out BART wasn’t running. I ended up having to drive to Stanford, since the only public transportation over the hills separating Dublin/Pleasanton from the inner East Bay is the Altamont Commuter Express, which is much less convenient due to its few runs. Thankfully traffic wasn’t that bad today, but going home is going to be a traffic nightmare since it’s a Friday.

I wish there were more bus options that connected the outer East Bay (Dublin, Pleasanton, San Ramon, Walnut Creek, etc.) to the inner East Bay.

replies(1): >>45141431 #
1. dylan604 ◴[05 Sep 25 17:49 UTC] No.45141431[source]▶
> but going home is going to be a traffic nightmare since it’s a Friday.

I've never understood the Friday traffic issue. Are there people that normally stay in the city during the week and only go home on Fridays causing more traffic? How is there more traffic on Friday and the rest of the week? Friday being one of the forced RTO days, but the Friday traffic thing was known well before WFH/RTO fights. Then again, the root cause of most traffic always seems much more anticlimatic

replies(4): >>45141492 #>>45141938 #>>45141984 #>>45143989 #
2. linguae ◴[05 Sep 25 17:54 UTC] No.45141492[source]▶
Interestingly enough, even with RTO, I’ve noticed that driving on a Friday morning is much smoother than Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings. Despite the BART shutdown, it was smooth sailing southbound down 680 from Pleasanton to Milpitas. I normally commute from San Ramon to Fremont, and going through Pleasanton and Sunol on a midweek morning is rough.

I think there are many people in the Bay Area who start their weekend trips Friday afternoons and evenings.

3. ralph84 ◴[05 Sep 25 18:29 UTC] No.45141938[source]▶
Friday afternoon traffic is people leaving the Bay Area for weekend trips. The Bay Area is effectively completely surrounded by mountains so there are a very limited number routes out of the Bay Area relative to the number of people.
replies(1): >>45142932 #
4. reliabilityguy ◴[05 Sep 25 18:32 UTC] No.45141984[source]▶
> Are there people that normally stay in the city during the week and only go home on Fridays causing more traffic?

In NYC people going out of the city for the weekend (Airbnb or their own house somewhere).

5. dylan604 ◴[05 Sep 25 19:57 UTC] No.45142932[source]▶
You make it sound like this is a Bay Area thing. It's not. I've never lived in the Bay Area, yet everyone still dreads Friday afternoon traffic. I get holiday weekends but just a random Friday still gets that vibe
6. dlcarrier ◴[05 Sep 25 21:43 UTC] No.45143989[source]▶
It's people leaving home, for the weekend. Friday traffic extends along I-80 (and eventually Hwy 50) all the way to Nevada, and beyond.