november_moon

For Monterey to SF - there is a carpool lane on 101 (once you get north of Morgan Hill) with a carpool fly-over lane to the carpool lane on Hwy 85. There is also a carpool lane on Hwy 280 for a good portion of the drive. SOOOO - if you end up making the drive during the evenning commute, it won't be bad.

sf7307

Unfortunately, though, on 101, going north, the carpool lane ends in Belmont and doesn't pick up again until you're well across the Bay Bridge. On 280 going north, the carpool lane ends just south of Palo Alto and I don't know if it ever picks up again. So you can have an easy time of it for awhile, and then stop dead in your tracks

jkr

Reno it is says the driver.
Do not have car pool lanes in IA
Can any car use them as long as more than 1 in car..and what is a carpool fly-over lane?

november_moon

sf - I drive SJ to SFO on 280 on a fairly regular basis, usually leaving south SJ right around 5. It really isn't so bad, esspecially now. 10% of the population out of work really makes a difference in the traffic. Obviously I get off 280 at 380 rather than going all the way into SF so it isn't a direct comparison, but still decent. I'm not telling the OP to aim to make the drive during the commute, just that if it works out that way, it isn't a huge deal.

sf7307

NM, I agree, it's not "that bad" as far as SFO, but it's horrible through the city and east of the city (and that's even with 10% unemployed and it being summer!) (I drive FROM SFO every night to my home south of SFO, so I see the traffic in the other direction.)

Car pool lanes - some require 2 passengers, some require 3 -- the signs will tell you "2 or more" or "3 or more". Yes, any car that has the requisite number of passengers can use them.

sf7307

Sorry, I drive FROM San Francisco every night....

montereybob

Yes any car can use carpool lanes with at least 2 people in the car. Flyover is an elevated transition lane from one freeway to another.