Metering Lights: Alleviation or Aggravation

If you cross any of the bridges in the San Francisco Bay Area during commute hours, you will experience the invention of metering lights. Their purpose is to regulate the traffic on the bridges to alleviate traffic congestion. Does it work? Not really sure. But regardless, the powers that be decided to expand the use of these metering lights to several freeway entrances to be used again during commute hours. These have been in existence on many Bay Area freeway onramps closer to the city where traffic congestion tends to be more concentrated. However, as the outlying areas of the Bay Area have continued experiencing growth and development, the traffic congestion has increased and metering lights began popping up closer to home. They were put in a while ago, but just have never been turned on. That was until September 16th.

On September 16th I ended up waking up earlier than the butt crack of dawn so I decided to go into work early. That early in the morningthe metering lights weren't as issue. I beat everyone to work that day, even my boss who is usually the first one to the office. On the 17th, I woke up a little later than the day before, but still left for the office much earlier than I normally do. Metering lights Day 2... not so bad. But then came the 18th. After 2 days of not getting enough sleep I slept much later and ended up leaving work 20 minutes later than I normally do. Warning!!! Traffic a nightmare just getting out of Livermore onto the freeway.

I realized I was going to be a little late for work. It was 8:15am, which meant I would probably get to the BART station in time for the 8:42am train... IF I HURRIED!!! Otherwise I would have to take the 8:57am train which would put me into the city by 9:44am, getting to my office by 10:00am. I called my boss to let him know that I would be late and explained why. He's great and told me to just work from home.

Which brings me to today. So I left this morning at my usual time, 7:40am. This time I decided to take the Portola onramp instead of the Airway Blvd. onramp thinking it may be better. Plus, I was leaving a little earlier than last week. Surely it couldn't be that bad. @#$%@$&. It could and it was.

People... I live less than 5 minutes from the freeway. I could take either Airway Blvd or Portola Avenue. Either one takes less than 5 minutes to get to from my house. IT TOOK ME 30 MINUTES JUST TO GET ON THE FREEWAY!!!!!! HELLO INSANITY!!! By the time I got on the freeway I was in the same boat as last week. Sure they use these metering lights to regulate how often cars can get on the freeway, but it doesn't decrease the number of people who still have to get on the freeway. AND... it didn't make traffic on the freeway any less congested. It just added 25 minutes to my already 1 1/2 hour commute! ARGH!!!

So, metering lights: alleviation or aggravation? DEFINATELY AGGRAVATION!!!