Boston, for example, has the amazingly interconnected T which seamlessly integrates its rail, subway, bus and boat system through everywhere from its Charles River neighbor Cambridge all the way out to "You Name It, Massachusetts"!

In contrast, the Silicon Valley equivalent is a myriad of public transportation silos which include the VTA, SamTrans, BART, MUNI, and ACE, among others.  The good folks at Google helped make sense of all the acronym soup by working with 511.org to create what I call the Silicon Valley Public Transportation Wizard.  It's essential for anyone hoping to get the most out of Bay Area public transport.

The other reality of our car-based culture is that gas is expensive in Silicon Valley.  I remember a time when I loved to take random drives with friends to Gilroy or Half Moon Bay at the spur of the moment, much like we might have taken the Green Line in Boston to Sunset Grill and Tap. 

That type of escapade has turned from pleasure to guilty pleasure and to add salt to the wound in our wallets, the Associated Press reports that gas prices have topped $3 in California.  (Locals driving down El Camino or in the City have seen this a few times.) 

So what can people do to ease the crunch?

Save Money by Using Less Gas

The government is actually bribing people to carpool and has hosted a website to make it easier to find other willing cohorts in this cunning plan to decrease the amount of your disposable income that goes into gasoline.

Get Closer to Public Transportation 

There aren't the same incentives for you to use public transportation.  Admittedly, it's not always faster and more convenient, but there are ways to make it work for you instead of the other way around.

Many large companies offer shuttles to and from local stations and, if they don't, they might be persuaded by all the good vibes they get from the community and maybe even the media for helping take cars off the highway.

People I know have also moved within walking distance of the local CalTrain so that they can get up to San Francisco more easily without running through the speed trap by Candlestick Point or waiting out the bottleneck heading up the 101 every weekend.

Hunt for Cheaper Gas (But Don't Get Mad at the Station Owner)

Some time ago I looked into buying a gas station.  The reality of the business is that, no matter how expensive gas looks to you and me, the operators don't make very much money off any given gallon.

Oil companies often own the land the station is on and know how much each station should be worth to their bottom line.  Then, they calculate how much to charge the station for gas based on, effectively, how much they think they can get away with relative to their competition and demand.  The operator adds a few cents onto the price for their margin and hopes that you stop in for coffee or a car wash — where they actually make money.  A lot of this money goes back into the land leased from the oil company.

If anything, the operator is getting squeezed just as much as the consumer is, with one subtlety.

Costco sells gasoline and because they purchase inventory on a more regular basis (and from multiple suppliers, just ask Lex from Survivor), they can more easily take advantage of price fluctuations (i.e. when the price drops, it usually drops at Costco first).  It's of note that their target margins are the same or a little higher than an average station, but their ability to sacrifice those margins is much, much higher.  Other stations will leave higher prices to linger for a little while so they can capture profits while the market adjusts.

There are also a number of web sites that let you compare gas prices around the area.  One such site is the aptly named SanJoseGasPrices.com or GasBuddy.com, where community members post what the gas prices are at various locations. 

(c) Steve Leung for the Silicon Valley Real Estate Blog at 1SiliconValley.com

Recommended Reading:

• What the CHP Is Helping Me Give Up for Lent: Speeding
• How Long Will My Silicon Valley Commute Take?
• The Silicon Valley Public Transportation Wizard
• 511.org: New Carpoolers Get Free Gas and Safeway Cards

To encourage Silicon Valley commuters to make the switch from "California carpools" (you know, where everyone going to the same place uses their own car) to real ones, they're giving away $10 in swag every five days you carpool — and one person who carpools over 40 days will win $1,000 in cash!  The program ends Halloween 2007 or when the money runs out.  

For carpool newbies, the next logical question is, "Where do I find a carpool partner?"

Finding a Carpool Partner on 511.org

The 511 Ridematch site can automatically notify you of potential Silicon Valley carpool partners.  You start by entering your email address and password, which is used to create an account for you.  You can also optionally select the company you work at from a list pre-populated with the workplaces of existing members.

Afterwards, you're taken to a detailed form which asks you where you need to carpool to and from, what your contact phone number is, and what your typical work schedule looks like (as well as how much flexibility you have). 

There is also a more detailed form where you can enter the variations in your weekly schedule if, for example, you need to be at your daughter's soccer games every Wednesday evening at 6:30pm.

Once you've entered your information, you'll be notified of people who are good matches for your schedule.

eRideShare.com

The folks at eRideShare.com take a broader approach to matchmaking.  They not only cover commuter carpools, they also handle carsharing for running errands and cross-country trips. 

Like 511 Ridematch, the system is free and convenient, but because they take a more Craigslist-style approach to connecting people, where people can remain relatively anonymous communicating using email aliases, eRideShare.com encourages safety and common sense. 

(c) Steve Leung for the Silicon Valley Real Estate Blog at 1SiliconValley.com

Recommended Reading:

• How Long Will My Silicon Valley Commute Take?
• The Silicon Valley Public Transportation Wizard
• Bedford Square Mountain View: Who Needs to Commute?
• Top Silicon Valley Shopping Malls
• When Not to Buy a House

Those of you looking for a gigantic bacchanalia here in Silicon Valley are in luck: the second annual HR Week West is being held at the Hyatt Regency Santa Clara on Great America Parkway.

But outside the carnival atmosphere there, the California Highway Patrol has redoubled their efforts to crackdown on speeding in the Bay Area.

Instead of taking a breadth-first approach and spreading thin coverage along many routes, they've decided to send squads of five, four motorbikes and one cruiser, to attack particular stretches as part of their everyday routine.  I've actually seen these squads at work on 101 and 280 and they are not subtle.

Though I'm not particularly religious, giving up something for Lent each year has been an important tradition to me for quite a while — and driving fast on the highway is admittedly one of my favorite vices, one that's going to be very hard to give up.  So much so that I wish my kryptonite were beer, Doritos or chocolate.  They don't say they'll give you a ticket for eating too many Snickers bars.

(c) Steve Leung

Related Reading:

• Goodbye Vallco, Hello Cupertino Square; Update on AMC and Bowling Alley
• Walking Tour of Downtown Palo Alto
• Top Silicon Valley Shopping Malls; Top Silicon Valley Driving Ranges
• Downtown Sunnyvale Revitalization Gets Desperately Needed Kickstart

511.org covers the entire Bay Area including San Mateo, Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, and Marin Counties. Silicon Valley coverage includes all the major thoroughfares like US-101, I-280, I-880, Highway 92, Highway 85, and Highway 84, plus both the San Mateo Bridge and the Dumbarton Bridge.

: traffic.511.org :

The system comes with a handy map of all the areas it covers. You'll not only find the basics like the VTA, SamTrans, BART, MUNI, and ACE, but also connections with the Stanford Marguerite Shuttle and the Golden Gate, Harbor Bay, and Vallejo ferries.

: 511.org TakeTransit Trip Planner :