10-21-2013, 06:20 PM
Just as you might avoid the Bay Bridge whenever possible, many of us who live in santa clara county avoid 101 whenever possible. The only time I will ever take 101 anywhere unless absolutely necessary is very late at night. If I were coming from east bay to a game, I would seriously consider taking SM bridge, skip 101 and continue to 280 to page mill and park south of the stadium. I stuck around Lot 2 for about 30 minutes after game on Saturday and had no problem going south on ECR, page mill and 280 - which is typical of my experience going that route after games.
Another option many overlook is to take caltrain. From the easy bay, you can take BART and transfer to/from Caltrain at Millbrae just across the platform (well, assuming BART is running, of course). On those rare occasions I must get to a game near gametime, I love taking Caltrain from San Jose or Santa Clara - a 30 minute ride and the 2 or 3 trains prior to and after the game make a special stop at embarcadero. They even allow alcohol on the trains so there is a bit of a tailgate atmosphere, especially for big game. Of course the ride to SF and east bay would be longer, but maybe worth considering.
Another option many overlook is to take caltrain. From the easy bay, you can take BART and transfer to/from Caltrain at Millbrae just across the platform (well, assuming BART is running, of course). On those rare occasions I must get to a game near gametime, I love taking Caltrain from San Jose or Santa Clara - a 30 minute ride and the 2 or 3 trains prior to and after the game make a special stop at embarcadero. They even allow alcohol on the trains so there is a bit of a tailgate atmosphere, especially for big game. Of course the ride to SF and east bay would be longer, but maybe worth considering.