"Highway 101 tops Dirty Dozen list"

[Alps]

Clogging up the Bay Area... http://www.mercurynews.com/traffic/ci_19929819

[nexus73]

The joke I heard on KGO 30 or so years ago: "That's not a parking lot, that's the Bayshore Freeway!".

I've driven on the whole shebang when I was on a trip there a few years ago and surprise, surprise, surprise, it really wasn't that bad and that was during the morning on a weekday.  Guess I got lucky!

Rick 

[Alps]

I drove around San Diego and Los Angeles on a weekday with minimal interference. Next year I'll tackle the Bay Area.

[myosh_tino]

I drove around San Diego and Los Angeles on a weekday with minimal interference. Next year I'll tackle the Bay Area.

Then may I suggest some freeways you should try out on your next visit that should guarantee you some "interference"...

Morning Commute (8-10am)
* CA-85 North - from I-280 to CA-237
* I-280 North - from CA-87 to CA-85
* US 101 North - from CA-85 (south San Jose) to CA-85 (Mtn View)

Afternoon Commute (4-7pm)
* I-680 North - from CA-237 to CA-84
* I-280 South - from CA-85 to CA-87
* CA-85 South - from CA-237 to I-280 and from Stevens Creek Blvd to CA-17
* CA-237 East - from US 101 to I-880
* CA-237 West - from First Street to US 101
* I-880 South - from Montague Expwy to I-280
* I-580 East - from I-680 to I-205

[Alps]

I drove around San Diego and Los Angeles on a weekday with minimal interference. Next year I'll tackle the Bay Area.

Then may I suggest some freeways you should try out on your next visit that should guarantee you some "interference"...

Morning Commute (8-10am)
* CA-85 North - from I-280 to CA-237
* I-280 North - from CA-87 to CA-85
* US 101 North - from CA-85 (south San Jose) to CA-85 (Mtn View)

Afternoon Commute (4-7pm)
* I-680 North - from CA-237 to CA-84
* I-280 South - from CA-85 to CA-87
* CA-85 South - from CA-237 to I-280 and from Stevens Creek Blvd to CA-17
* CA-237 East - from US 101 to I-880
* CA-237 West - from First Street to US 101
* I-880 South - from Montague Expwy to I-280
* I-580 East - from I-680 to I-205

By the time I get around to here, I will be trying to minimize my driving during commutes, but CERTAINLY in off-peak directions if I have to.

[myosh_tino]

By the time I get around to here, I will be trying to minimize my driving during commutes, but CERTAINLY in off-peak directions if I have to.

Awww... driving during non-commute hours... that's no fun! 

But seriously, during non-commute hours (mid-day or weekends) you won't see much congestion driving the Bay Area freeways unless there is a special event going on (driving westbound on the Bay Bridge before a S.F. Giants' game or on southbound California 87 in downtown San Jose before a San Jose Sharks game or if you drive through Oakland when an Occupy riot gathering is going on).

[TheStranger]

But seriously, during non-commute hours (mid-day or weekends) you won't see much congestion driving the Bay Area freeways unless there is a special event going on

Interestingly, I've ran into heavy traffic at random times in San Francisco (both due to accidents) - on the Central Freeway once around 2 AM, on the southbound Bayshore at 3 AM.