Tracy Press

I work in Livermore and leave around 5:50am and am lucky to arrive by 6:30. Lately it's been closer to 6:40. Unbelievable for having to only drive 18 miles.

The ACE train isn't convenient for everyone. I wish it operated more like BART, especially on the return.

With the price of gas and the cost of insurance I would certainly recommend the train over driving if it works for you.

With the cost of gas and insurance, and the time away from home that commuting takes I would choose to live in Pleasanton, Dublin or even Livermore over Tracy if I were working in Pleasanton and had the choice.
Bear in mind I am from Tracy so nothing against the community.
My reason's are practical. All that money spent on gas, insurance, car maintenance and replacing cars more frequently adds up over time.
Then there are the hours each week one can gain from living closer to work. Just cutting 30 minutes each way from a daily commute gains one 5 hours each week. Taking two weeks off for vacation each year that is 250 hours to spend any way you want. I would do almost anything to have that much time for me.
Another reason to live in Pleasanton instead of Tracy is climate. On average in the summer it's cooler over the hill than in Tracy. I will take cooler in Summer any day. The valley is getting too hot. There also tends to be less fog there in winter.
Then there is the lifestyle. Tracy is actually trying to do some of the same things downtown that Pleasanton and other communities in that area have done. Translation: They are playing catch up. There is more to see and do, more recreation, more places to shop, and more culture than the central valley currently offers.
It may cost more to live over the hill but there is more to offer there in terms of quality of life and with a shorter drive to and from work, more time to enjoy it. Just food for thought.
My advice. Come up here and look the area over if you can, compare the apples and oranges. Or if you can rent for awhile before you buy and take that time deciding which area you would prefer to live.

I ride the ACE train from Tracy to Pleasanton daily and the commute time for ACE is about 45 minutes. I ride the third train that leaves Tracy at about 7:10 and arrives in Pleasanton at about 7:55. The cost of the trips are $66 for a 20 trip pass ( each direction from Tracy to Pleasanton or vice versa counts as one trip ).

580 is a living hell and McNermey and the rest will never widen it. we need more trains and more jobs close to home that pay. you can't pay for a 600K home with a Target Job. When is Tracy going to attract some offices and headquarters.. Commuting is killing us and our families suffer. They built a new city hall, but none of us can work there. Attract some large companies PLEASE.

Wow. Maybe we should reconsider... I live in Los Angeles so I can't imagine it being worse than here but maybe I was wrong.

I am a Bay Area transplant to Tracy and I've lived here for nearly three years. I have a longer commute than most of the folks who've replied as I actually work in the Bay Area and it requires a certain temperament to have that commute.

If you are impatient and gets annoyed fairly quickly when there is a backup, living in Tracy or anywhere else where the commute is more than 30 minutes is not for you. It will make your life a very unhappy one. However, if you don't mind doing that so you can afford to own a house or you just like the community, then living in Tracy is OK.

For me, the things that go against living in Tracy include the high levels of pollen which is terrible for my allergy as well as the lack of places for leisure. I miss eating at a decent Chinese restaurant or dimsum place when I used to be able to choose among several ones in the Bay Area.

I suggest that if you are not planning to buy a house in Tracy yet to rent here or in Pleasanton so you'll get a feel for the setup that would be convenient for you.

Regards and welcome ( hopefully ) to Tracy.