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Comment by linguae | Hacker News Reader

The situation in the San Francisco Bay Area is similar. While there are still low-income communities in and near the urban centers (e.g., East Oakland, Richmond, Bay View/Hunter’s Point in San Francisco), there are many low-income and middle-class people who endure 4-6 hour round-trip commutes via car from places like Stockton, Modesto, Los Banos, and Salinas. I find my 45-minute commute from San Ramon to Fremont difficult (sadly I can’t afford to move to Fremont on my current salary without downgrading my apartment); I can’t imagine having to drive five days a week from Stockton to Fremont, but thousands of commuters do this.

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Hello! Stocktonian here! I currently commute from Stockton on the ACE train instead of driving. Many students, tech workers, and other kinds of workers also commute on it.

I would definitely find my commute unbearable if I had to drive every day instead.

While there are lots of commuters from Stockton to the Bay, I think it's better attributed to Tracy and Mountain House and Lathrop+Manteca a bit less, since those are more like bedroom communities.

There is a rail line that goes from Sacramento into the South Bay (ACE Rail) which is what you'd probably try to use if you could. Still takes 2.5hr one-way (which doesn't include last-mile parts), but at least you don't drive.

I used to take it going from Pleasanton to Santa Clara, and I remember there was lots of revelry on the way back home.

I haven’t ridden the ACE train before, but this can be a major benefit for those commuting from the Outer East Bay and San Joaquin County. Plus, I heard the seats are like Caltrain’s, which means it’s possible for commuters to get work done on the train.

There’s also the Amtrak Capitol Corridor for those living annd working along the 880 and 80 corridors. I’ve taken this a few times before during my college years, and it’s a nice, comfortable ride.

ACE hasn't been extended to Sacramento yet but there is the Capitol Corridor right now from Sacramento to the Bay.

Out of curiosity I checked some of those locations and it turns out I used to have a commute of roughly the same length as you have now. Bearable, but on the very edge of tolerance.

Meanwhile travelling on a daily basis from places like Stockton or Modesto is, to me, just extreme. I knew a doctor who travelled this far three times a week and he was already perpetually exhausted.

Sometimes I can't help but think that all those RTO policies were enacted only so that we would keep renting all those overpriced, cramped apartments.

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