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Oct 29th, 2008
With careful planning, moving can be a relatively problem-free process. Whether moving across the street or across country, a comprehensive plan can help with the step-by-step process of relocating. Bay Area-based services designed to help make moving easier include temporary housing, storage, career counseling and job-placement services. One of the first steps to planning and managing a move is collecting information. Moving Companies People moving from another state likely will require the services of a moving company. But those moving to the Bay Area from less than 250 miles away might want to consider moving themselves. The extra time and effort expended in a self-move should be considered when comparing costs with those of a moving company. Select a moving company by asking for recommendations from people who have used a moving company recently and by checking prices Prices and services vary considerably among moving companies and can be based on an hourly rate, per delivery person or a flat fee. Most give free estimates based on the length of the move and the weight of the items to be moved. There are two kinds of estimates: binding and nonbinding. The binding estimate describes in exact detail the shipment and all services that will be provided. This type of estimate limits total charges to the estimated amount. The nonbinding estimate approximates cost. Movers may not charge for providing a nonbinding estimate. However, the final bill can be more than the estimate, but not by more than 10 percent. With a nonbinding estimate, every service must be outlined in writing. Do not sign or accept the order for service or bill of lading unless the amount estimate is entered on each form when prepared by the mover. Moving companies can fall behind schedule. Search for a company that will guarantee a pickup and delivery day and make sure those times are in part of the contract. Do not agree to a pickup or delivery on an “as soon as possible” basis. It is best to move at times other than the end of the month or during the summer vacation period of June, July and August, which are the busiest times for moving companies. Although a moving company provides liability insurance on items it moves by the pound, it might be wise to purchase additional insurance. Before a moving company begins work, take an inventory of belongings even if the company promises to do one. Be sure to note scratches and other blemishes that will help verify a damage claim later. If the company does its own inventory, check it carefully against a personal inventory before signing anything. Listed below are a few points to remember. • Try to get rid of any unnecessary items before moving. • Do not use heavy containers to pack belongings. Use wardrobe space wisely by packing off-season garments in regular boxes. • Consider mailing books, because post office book rates are less than that of some moving companies. • Remember that movers are trained professionals, and there is less chance of damage if they do the packing. Movers usually can pack in one day. • Be at the new home at the time when the company has agreed to be there. If no one is home, belongings will go into storage (usually for an extra fee). The moving company will expect payment in cash before unloading. Moving Expenses Tax deductions might apply to a move, but it is best to understand the law before moving in order to keep the appropriate records and to comply with any necessary provisions. Keep in mind that a move must be at least 50 miles from a current home and involve changing job locations in order for expenses to be deductible. Records to keep include: • travel, meals and lodging expenses incurred during the move; • moving of household goods and personal items (this includes some storage expenses); • cost of looking for a new home; • home-scouting trips; • lodging and meals; • temporary living arrangements in the new location; and • disposing of a former home and acquiring a new one. Movers may call the Internal Revenue Service at 800-829-1040 or visit Temporary Storage If you need to store household goods temporarily, self- and warehouse-storage space is available in all sections of the San Francisco Bay Area. Check on security arrangements at specific storage units, liability for loss or damage, availability of units and whether the facility is climate-controlled. The California Self Storage Association at www.cssaweb.com provides a searchable database of all California members. Utilities Pacific Gas & Electric Co. supplies gas and electricity to San Francisco Bay Area residents. Service requests may be completed over the phone or online. To apply for service and obtain information, call 800-743-5000 or visit www.pge.com. The company provides natural gas and electric service to approximately 15 million people throughout a 70,000-square-mile service area in northern and central California. The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC)manages a complex water supply system stretching from the Sierras to the city and featuring a complex series of reservoirs, tunnels, pipelines and treatment systems. Two unique features of this system stand out: the drinking water provided is among the purest in the world, and the system for delivering that water is almost entirely gravity fed, requiring almost no fossil fuel consumption to move water from the mountains to the tap. www.puc.sf.ca.us Water The SFPUC, the third largest municipal utility in California, serves 2.4 million residential, commercial and industrial customers in the San Francisco Bay Area. Approximately one-third of delivered water goes to retail customers in San Francisco, while wholesale deliveries to 28 suburban agencies in Alameda, Santa Clara and San Mateo counties comprise the other two-thirds of SFPUC’s deliveries. Water Sources: Hetch Hetchy Source – The Hetch Hetchy watershed provides approximately 85 percent of San Francisco's total water needs. Spring snowmelt runs down the Tuolumne River and fills Hetch Hetchy, the largest reservoir in the SFPUC system. This surface water in the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir is treated, but not filtered because it is of such high quality. The Alameda and Peninsula watersheds produce about 15 percent of the total water supply. The Alameda watershed, located in Alameda and Santa Clara Counties, contributes surface water supplies captured and stored in two reservoirs: Calaveras and San Antonio. The Peninsula watershed in San Mateo County contributes surface water supplies captured and stored in lower and upper Crystal Springs and San Andreas Reservoirs and in two smaller reservoirs, Pilarcitos and Stone Dam. Garbage Collection In order to determine the service provider in your area, call the following collection agencies. San Francisco Golden Gate Disposal & Recycling 900 Seventh St. Sunset Scavenger Co. Tunnel Ave. & Beatty Rd. Marin County Department of Public Works 65 Mitchell Blvd., Ste. 200B Marin Sanitary Service Residential and Commercial Collection Services 1050 Andersen Dr. Napa County Napa Recycling and Waste Services 820 Levitin Way Upper Valley Disposal & Recycling and Clover Flat Landfill 1285 Whitehall Lane Solano County Solano Garbage Company 2901 Industrial Ct. Solano County Recycling Guide www.recycle-guide.com Alameda County CJC Trucking Inc. 3803 Broadway St., Ste. 2 EVC-Envirocycle 30968 San Benito Universal Waste Management Inc 3403 Piedmont Ave., Ste. #301 Zero Waste Solutions Inc. Newark, CA WM of Alameda County (WMAC) 172 98th Ave. Contra Costa County Allied Waste Services 441 N Buchanan Circle Antioch, Baypoint, Concord Area, Clayton, Clyde, Morgan Territory, Pacheco, Martinez and Mt. View Canyon, Danville, Lafayette, Moraga, Benicia - 707-747-0608 Santa Clara County County of Santa Clara Integrated Waste Management Program 1735 N. First St., Ste. 308 San Mateo County Allied Waste San Mateo County 225 Shoreway Rd. Telephone Providers AT&T 525 Market St. Sprint 928 Van Ness Ave. Verizon 800-483-3000 TelePacific Communications 620 Third St. 55 Nicholson Lane Time Warner Telecom 501 Second St., Ste. 200 Webpass 500 Sansome St., Ste. 404 Cable Tv Providers Comcast 1-800-COMCAST DirecTV www.directv.com RCN 800-RING-RCN Media & Internet Services Daily Newspapers San Francisco Chronicle San Francisco Examiner 866-733-7323 Contra Costa Times (East Bay, primarily Concord, Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill and Bay Point areas) Oakland Tribune (East Bay, including Oakland, Berkeley and Alameda) San Jose Mercury News (South Bay, Peninsula and southern East Bay) Santa Rosa Press Democrat (Sonoma, Marin and Napa Counties) San Mateo County Times (Peninsula) San Francisco Independent (three times per week) Weekly Newspapers San Francisco Bay Guardian 415-255-3100 San Francisco Business Times 415-989-5255 San Francisco Weekly 415-541-0700 Asian Week 415-397-0220 For information on San Francisco neighborhood publications, contact: The San Francisco Neighborhood 2269 Chestnut St. Ste. 620 Ethnic & Cultural Media For information on ethnic and cultural media, visit the New California Media website at www.ncmonline.com. TV Stations ABC 7 415-954-7777 KPIX 5 415-765-8600 KPST 66 415-243-8866 KQED 9 415-553-2361 KRON 4 415-561-8905 NBC 11 408-432-6221 KTSF 26 415-468-2626 KTVU 2 510-834-1212 KSTS 48 408-435-8848 Radio Stations KCBS 74 AM 415-765-4000 KDFC 102.1 FM 415-777-0965 KFOG 104.5 FM 415-995-6800 KGO Newstalk AM 810 415-954-8100 KITS 105 FM 415-512-1053 KNBR AM 680 415-995-6800 KOIT 96.5 FM/1260 AM 415-398-5600 KQED 81.5 415-864-2000 KZQZ 95.7 FM 415-777-0965 Commuting and Commuters in the San Francisco Bay Area have a variety of transportation options available to them. In San Francisco, nearly one-third of residents rely upon public transit as the primary means of transportation. Similar to other urban centers, residents learn that driving a car poses more challenges than learning to take mass transit. San Francisco’s cable cars and vintage streetcars are just one part of the San Francisco Municipal Railway’s (Muni) transportation fleet. Subway/surface light-rail vehicles and electric and diesel buses transport some 737,287 passengers daily. In 2003, Metro magazine named Muni one of the most-improved transit systems in the U.S. The CarShare program is another mode of transportation that helps commuters get to and from their jobs. Established in 2001, the car-sharing program has a fleet of 70 vehicles and more than 1,500 members who use cars by the hour. The successful program conserves natural resources and reduces parking demand. There is also Zipcar, which is a car-sharing service available in the San Francisco Bay Area. Zipcar members can reserve online or by phone and have automated access to any Zipcar across North America using a "Zipcard" to unlock the door and drive away. With Zipcar, gas, parking and insurance are included The Bay Area Rapid Transit System (BART) serves San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley and surrounding municipalities to the east of San Francisco and down the Peninsula to the south of the city. East Bay residents use the regional transportation system more than any other community. BART opened service to San Francisco International Airport in 2003. AC Transit buses and ferries, with direct links to Muni lines, also serve the East Bay. Commuters from the Peninsula as well as from Menlo Park, Hillsborough and Palo Alto primarily get to and from San Francisco by car, but BART, bus and train service is available. Many Peninsula residents use Caltrain to access the city, and there are currently plans to bring Caltrain directly into downtown San Francisco. Drivers’ Licenses Any person, except tourists and out-of-state students, who owns and drives a car and declares himself a resident in the state (owns or rents a home within the state of California, accepts employment and/or registers a child in school), is required to obtain a driver's license. If you've never driven before or are from another country, you will be required to take the traffic laws and signs test (also known as the written test) and the driving test. If you have a license from a different state, you will need to take the written exam. The license fee is $28. To study for the test, you can download the California Drivers Handbook at www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/dl600.pdf. Call your local Department of Motor Vehicles office (DMV) or call 800-777-0133 between 7 am and 5 pm. Once you’re prepared, make an appointment to take the traffic laws exam by going online to http://mv.dmv.ca.gov/foAppt2/welcome.do. An appointment is not essential to take the written test, but it is recommended in order to shorten your wait time. When you take your test, here is what to expect: • Pay the application fee of $28. No credit cards are accepted. • Fill out form DL 44, which is not available online, since the DMV only accepts its original form. Pick one up from your local DMV or call 800-777-0133 or simply fill it out when you come in for your license exam. • Bring a proof of birth date and legal residency. See the website at www.dmv.ca.gov/dl/dl_info.htm#BDLP for acceptable documents.Give your Social Security number and your true full name. • Take and pass the written test. You have three tries; you must wait seven days between attempts. • For those with special needs, the DMV also offers the test in different languages, in cassette form, in American Sign Language, or person-to-person (administered by a real live person asking the questions). • The DMV will also thumbprint you, take your picture and give you a vision test. Once you've provided all this information and passed the test, one of these things will happen: • If you've never driven before, you will be issued a permit. This lets you drive as long as someone 18 or older is in the car with you. When you are ready, make an appointment to take the driving test. • If you have a license from another country, you will receive a permit, and you will make an appointment for the driving test. • If you have moved to California from another state, you will receive your license in the mail. |
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