Taking the train is sooo civilized. Besides reducing carbon emmissions, you can work on the train, read the paper or take a nap and relax. Several buses pick up on the corner near the station and take you downtown, and the light rail travels along the Embarcadero.

BART doesn't travel as far down the peninsula as Caltrain, but you if you can drive to BART, either to the Millbrae or Daly City station and park your car, BART reduces your driving and helps you avoid traffic. Plus, BART trains are more frequent than Caltrain and BART takes you to Civic Center and all the way downtown.

An alternative to the train is taking a SamTrans bus. You still get stuck in traffic, but the bus ride lets you read, listen to your mp3 player and snooze on the way.

Between Highways 101 and 280, Highway 280 wins hands down. If you have to commute by car, this freeway has beautiful views of the Bay, green hillsides and blue reservoirs - and much less traffic than 280. When I drive, I take Highway 280 North, cut over and travel East on Highway 380, travel North again on Highway 101 until I hit the 280 extension. Then I take the 280 extension into the City.

If you can't take public transit, and if you live fairly close to Highway 101, it isn't practical to travel to Highway 280 to drive up the Peninsula. So my best advice is to either leave really early, by 7:00 A.M. or leave late, after 9:00 A.M. to make the trek into the City. Highway 101, with it's narrow lanes and numerous on-ramps and off-ramps, is more prone to accidents and closures. So, it's best to avoid traveling on this highway during peak commute hours.