Bay Area’s MacArthur Maze Tops Survey as California’s Most Hated Commute
A recent Resume.io poll identified the I-80/I-580/I-880 interchange near the Bay Bridge as the state’s worst daily drive, with workers willing to forgo thousands of dollars to avoid it.
Resume.io’s July 2026 questionnaire of 3,017 workers explored the monetary value commuters place on time saved. The I-80/I-580/I-880 connection known as the MacArthur Maze near the Bay Bridge emerged as the most detested route, with respondents willing to sacrifice $3,220 of their annual earnings to avoid it. Close behind, the US-101 Hollywood Freeway segment earned a $3,112 price tag, while the I-405 through Sepulveda Pass attracted just over $3,000.
Nearly half of those surveyed said they would turn down a job if the commute were excessively long or difficult, and a third highlighted the psychological toll of traffic congestion. Separate data from a Consumer Affairs report placed Los Angeles as the nation’s worst-traffic city, with drivers spending more than eight hours in congestion each week, while San Francisco ranked fourth nationwide.
Why it matters
Understanding commuters' willingness to pay highlights the economic and emotional impact of traffic bottlenecks on workers.
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