How to Get From Marin to San Jose on public transit

October 2006

Transit.511.org has a trip planner…

Hmm. 3 hr. 29 minutes using bart and buses….

Depart: 530 Alameda Del Prado in Novato

Then: Go to: N. Corner Of Enfrente Rd & Salvatore Dr (Location map)

Board: Golden Gate Transit Bus #70/Sf Transbayterminal at 10:30 am (next 11:35 am) (schedule detail)

Fare: Pay $3.40, Get Golden Gate Transit Transfer Get Off: 3rd St & Hetherton St at 10:55 am

Then: Go to: S.W. Corner Of 3rd St & Hetherton St (Location map)

Board: Golden Gate Transit Bus #42/Delnorte Via Richmon at 11:00 am (next 11:30 am) (schedule detail)

Fare: Get Off: BART El Cerrito Del Norte Station at 11:42 am

Then: Go to: BART El Cerrito Del Norte, 6400 Cutting (Location map)

Board: BART Rich/Fremont Line/Fremont at 11:53 am (next train at 12:08 pm) (schedule detail)

Fare: Pay $4.15, Get BART Ticket Get Off: BART Fremont at 12:50 pm

Then: Go to: S. Corner Of Fremont BART, 2000 BART Way (Location map)

Board: Santa Clara VTA Bus #180 Express/San Jose at 12:55 pm (next 1:25 pm) (schedule detail)

Fare: Pay $3.50 Get Off: San Fernando & Almaden at 1:42 pm

Go to: 345 Park Ave. in San Jose (Location map)

Total Travel Time: 3 hr 29 min

Total Cash Fare: $11.05

Cool, it gets less time…… 2hr. 53 minutes to go via caltrain, and actually get there at 9am. Uh oh, plus a 10 block walk at the end… But the 511 system seems to say it is less than half a mile…. http://transit.511.org/tripplanner/walkingmap.asp?mc=Center&al=Caltrain%20Station%20%2D%20San%20Jose&fx=-121.901898076105&fy=37.329180018198&bl=345%20Park%20Ave%2E%20%28destination%29&tx=-121.894019365102&ty=37.3293610331853&om=False&zl=3&x1=-121.905074105219&y1=37.3242705256917&x2=-121.890843335989&y2=37.3342705256917&ret=itinresults%2Easp%3Ffx%3D%2D16657%26fy%3D4402%26tx%3D%2D8201%26ty%3D%2D7800%26prfa%3D%2D16657%252C4402%252C530%2Balameda%2Bdel%2Bprado%252Cnovato%252C94949%26prta%3D%2D8201%252C%2D7800%252C345%2Bpark%2Bave%2E%252Csan%2Bjose%252C%26fs%3D530%2Balameda%2Bdel%2Bprado%26fc%3Dnovato%26fz%3D94949%26ts%3D345%2Bpark%2Bave%2E%26tc%3Dsan%2Bjose%26tz%3D%26td%3D3%26t1%3D02%253A01%26am1%3Dam%26tm%3DA%26t2%3D9%253A00%26am2%3Dam%26op%3DF%26of%3DR%26ow%3D120%26image1%2Ex%3D40%26image1%2Ey%3D13&rid=0.7020904&shml=False&cmd=shml#map

Trip Itinerary for arriving by 9:00am. Monday, Oct. 9: weekday non-school service. School trips not operating.

Re-routes: 2, 3; Possible delays: 1, 9X, 15, 30, 45, California Cable Car: Sat., Oct. 7, 2006, Chinatown; Double 10 Parade

Possible re-routes, extra service: F, 22, 47; Delays: 30, 108: Sat.-Sun. Oct. 7-8, 2006, Fisherman's Wharf: Fleet Week

Free Muni rides for military personnel during Fleet Week

Muni buses and F-line: Always ask for a transfer, even if you are not going to transfer to another line.

Depart: 530 Alameda Del Prado in Novato

Then: Go to: N. Corner Of Enfrente Rd & Salvatore Dr (Location map)

Board: Golden Gate Transit Bus #54/Financial District at 6:09 am (next 6:19 am) (schedule detail)

Fare: Pay $5.05, Get Golden Gate Transit Transfer Get Off: Howard St & Fourth St at 7:00 am

Then: Go to: S. Corner Of 4th St & Howard St (Location map)

Board: SF Muni Bus #30/Stockton at 7:04 am (next bus at 7:13 am) (schedule detail)

 Important Announcements About This Route

Then: Go to: Caltrain Station - San Francisco, Townsend St & 4th St (Location map)

Board: Caltrain Southbound Line/San Jose at 7:16 am (next train 7:25 am) (schedule detail)

Fare: Pay $6.75, Get Caltrain Rail Ticket Get Off: Caltrain Station - San Jose at 8:25 am

Go to: 345 Park Ave. in San Jose (Location map)

Total Travel Time: 2 hr 53 min

Total Cash Fare: $13.30

Then leaving at 6pm, I’m home by 9:15pm….

Depart: 345 Park Ave. in San Jose

Then: Go to: Caltrain Station - San Jose, Cahill St & San Fernando St (Location map)

Board: Caltrain Northbound Line/San Francisco at 6:25 pm (last train of the day) (schedule detail)

Fare: Pay $6.75, Get Caltrain Rail Ticket Get Off: Caltrain Station - San Francisco at 7:24 pm

Then: Go to: W. Corner Of 4th St & Townsend St (Location map)

Board: SF Muni Bus #15/Third at 7:39 pm (next bus at 7:52 pm) (schedule detail)

 Important Announcements About This Route

Then: Go to: S.W. Corner Of Mission St & Third St (Location map)

Board: Golden Gate Transit Bus #80/S.Rosavia Sraf/Pet at 7:55 pm (next 8:47 pm) (schedule detail)

Fare: Pay $5.05, Get Golden Gate Transit Transfer Get Off: Ignacio Blvd Bp Nb at 9:13 pm

Go to: 530 Alameda Del Prado in Novato (Location map)

Total Travel Time: 3 hr 16 min

Total Cash Fare: $13.30

Let’s try leaving at 7pm:

Trip Itinerary for Monday, leaving at 7:00pm. Depart: 345 Park Ave. in San Jose

Then: Go to: San Jose Amtrak, 65 Cahill St (Location map)

Board: Amtrak Capitol Line/Sacramento at 7:15 pm (last train of the day) (schedule detail)

Fare: Pay $14.00, Get Amtrak Rail Ticket Get Off: Richmond Amtrak at 8:42 pm

Then: Go to: N.E. Corner Of Richmond BART, Macdonald Ave & 19th St (Location map)

Board: Golden Gate Transit Bus #42/San Rafael at 8:48 pm (next at 9:48 pm) (schedule detail)

Fare: Pay $3.40, Get Golden Gate Transit Transfer Get Off: 3rd St & Hetherton St at 9:20 pm

Then: Go to: S.W. Corner Of 3rd St & Hetherton St (Location map)

Board: Golden Gate Transit Bus #70/San Rafael at 9:25 pm (next 10:25 pm) (schedule detail)

Fare: Get Off: Ignacio Blvd Bp Nb at 9:43 pm

Go to: 530 Alameda Del Prado in Novato (Location map)

Total Travel Time: 2 hr 46 min

Total Cash Fare: $17.40

I could also go to Richmond, bart to Fremont, and then amtrack to san jose… It would be an hour to Fremont, and an hour to san jose…

Trip Itinerary for arriving by 9:00am. Depart: 2000 Bart Way in Fremont

Then: Go to: Fremont BART Station, 2000 BART Way (Location map)

Board: AC Transit Bus #216/Newpark Mall at 8:00 am (next bus at 9:00 am) (schedule detail)

Fare: Pay $1.75 Get Off: Peralta Blvd & Fremont Blvd. at 8:11 am

Then: Go to: Ace - Fremont Station, 37260 Fremont Blvd (Location map)

Board: ACE Westbound Line/#05 at 8:17 am (last train of the day) (schedule detail)

Fare: Pay $4.25, Get Ace Rail Ticket Get Off: Ace - San Jose Station at 8:50 am

Go to: 345 Park Ave. in San Jose (Location map)

Total Travel Time: 1 hr 0 min

Total Cash Fare: $6.00 + $4.30 for bart…. Bart parking is free….

Oh yeah, and I could do larkspur ferry to the Amtrak terminal at the san Francisco terminal… Let’s see, half an hour to get across the water… 1 hr 15 minutes for amtrack thruway bus to san jose…. Or from sf ferry building, bus to Oakland, then I could take the 11 coast starlght with a dining car and a lounge… They give me all kinds of ways but they don’t tell the schedule… Schedules is on a screen separate from routes… Morons… OK, starlight gets to san jose at 9:55… I could get on it at 8:20 in Emeryville, or 8:35 in Oakland at jack London square….

OK, so ferry building at 7:55 gets me to SJC at 9:10am, 1 hr 15 minutes… That’s pretty good… Oops, fares are on yet another screen…. $11 fare… That’s not too terrible…. Plus $6.75 for the ferry, starting at 7:10…. So drive to larkspur plus 2 hours… I think I beat the times the 511 finder was giving me….

Hmm, Amtrak has a points program... I'd get a minimum of 100 points for each trip, 200 a day.... At 8000 points I could take a free two zone trip, which would get me one way to Cincinnati... https://www.amtrakguestrewards.com/index.cfm?category=redeem&loc=rewards_selection.cfm&rewards=Amtrak So every 16 weeks I could earn a round trip ticket.... So a year of doing this would earn tickets for the family... Oh, wait, probably not, "Members will be permitted to redeem their Points for travel for other individuals."

Wonder how much the points are worth.. $239 one way. That's with no notice... With one month ahead, $147 one way. $184 to return.. $367 for whole family, $460 to return... Compares to $1332 for best price on expedia on northwest... Save $500 by spending 3 days to, and 3 days back, on the train.... Rules for earning Amtrak guest reward points TOS says 'Except as provided in this Section, Members who provide their Membership Number at the time of ticket purchase will earn 2 Points for every $1 spent on Amtrak travel, a minimum of 100 points for each trip." link

What an exhausting exercise…..