Q Sunday in San Francisco could be a gigantic tie-up. We have Bay to Breakers, the Amgen Tour bicycle race and the Alcatraz swim. There are street closings adding to the mess. We plan to see the Aquatic Park finish of the swim but are afraid that it will be near impossible to drive anywhere near. Any suggestions? … I’m driving from Cupertino to Mendocino on Sunday morning. Unfortunately, I just realized this is the same day as the Bay to Breakers race. Short of leaving before dawn, do you have a recommendation for the best route to avoid traffic?

Bill Schick and Brian C.

A To get to the North Bay, take Interstate 880 north to Interstate 80 to the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge and then to Highway 101, even though construction on the bridge could slow you down.

There are two options for people from the south to get to the northern waterfront:

Use northbound Highway 1 through Golden Gate Park and turn right on Geary Boulevard. Take eastbound Geary to Van Ness Avenue and turn left. Turn left on Bay Street for the Marina Green or right on North Point Street for Fisherman’s Wharf. State Route 1 is the only north-south road that is grade-separated and thus passes over the race course and stays open all day.

Or use northbound Interstate 280 to King Street northbound to The Embarcadero. Turn left on either Bay or North Point streets to reach Fisherman’s Wharf and the Marina district. The city will try to keep The Embarcadero open at all times, but sometimes the crowd of runners waiting behind the starting line backs up onto The Embarcadero and blocks it.

Drivers should allow plenty of time, as traffic will be very slow through the area at The Embarcadero and Howard Street and State Route 1. The Bay to Breakers race begins at 7 a.m., but street closures begin much earlier. Try Caltrain and BART as well, as extra trains will be running.

The Alcatraz swim starts at 7:50 a.m., and the bike race begins at 8:15 a.m. at the Marina Green.

Added Bond-the-S.F.-Traffic-Man: “Bay to Breakers day is not a good day to be driving in San Francisco.”

Q I am finally angry enough to write you! In response to the email from a motorcyclist, Phil Alfonso, and your inept defense on lane-splitting, I offer up my comments:

No one is in favor of lane-splitting and all detest it. Alfonso states “most drivers have really poor driving skills.” How ridiculous. The Bay Area has some of the worse commutes in the nation, and drivers here do an excellent job navigating the freeways to and from work each day.

Then you pile on by adding, “Lane-splitting at low speeds … does not catch motorists by surprise.” Are you kidding me? This is exactly the problem each of you choose to ignore.

Source: www.mercurynews.com