Test out new BART seats tonight at Fruitvale BART

BART cars are some of the oldest local transit trains in the country, and besides the fact that they’re quickly deteriorating, they’re also designed for fairly low ridership. So BART has wisely decided to replace their entire fleet and has embarked on a planning process to design better trains for the system. (Due to poor financial planning and spending so much capital funding on expensive extensions with low ridership, BART doesn’t have full funding in place for the replacement of the trains, but that’s another blog post.)

Many of the design options will be important for increasing the capacity and flow of BART trains, while also keeping them relatively comfortable. But one facet of the design has gotten increased attention recently – BART seats. I’m sure by now you’ve either read or heard about the Bay Citizen story from March, which revealed that BART seats are basically the perfect environment for bacteria growth. What you read or heard might have had you think twice about sitting on BART.

February 15-21 Oakland Political & Community Events

Tuesday, February 16th – Oakland City Council Special Budget Meeting & Regular Council Meeting

This Tuesday, there are two Council meetings – the regular Council meeting preceded by a special budget meeting. As V Smoothe explained, the new budget proposal is mostly tricks and some cuts, and though based on past meetings, it’s unlikely that anything will actually get decided, it’s important to attend and weigh in. As for the regular Council meeting, it looks like a short agenda, but there are some contentious items that will ensure the Council stays in session until late in the night. Among them are the awarding a $30 million contract for parking citation and revenue collection, exempting certain positions from the hiring freeze, and the awarding of Workforce Investment Board contracts. See the budget meeting agenda and the regular meeting agenda and check out my post about how to watch and understand City Council meetings if you need some guidance on how or where to view the meeting. The budget meeting is scheduled to run from 5pm-6pm (which sounds ridiculously short to me) and the non-ceremonial parts of the regular Council meeting start at 7pm. Both meetings will be held in the Council Chambers in City Hall, 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza.

Wednesday, February 17th – Planning Commission Hearing on Bus Rapid Transit

After years of mostly Berkeley meetings about AC Transit’s bus rapid transit (BRT) project, Oakland is finally going to discuss it’s locally preferred alternative. If you support BRT, please come to this meeting or submit comments ahead of time – this project is incredibly important to the future of Oakland. The Planning Commission meeting will be held on Wednesday, July 15th at 6:00 pm in Hearing Room 1, City Hall, 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza and the full agenda can be read here. You can read more about the BRT proposal in the staff report and at OaklandBRT.com.

Thursday, February 18th – BART Police Department Review Committee Meeting

The BART Police Department Review Committee will meet at 9:00 a.m. in the BART Board Room, which is located in the Kaiser Center 20th Street Mall, Third Floor, 344 20th St., Oakland, CA.

Thursday, February 18th – Oakland Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee Meeting

Oakland’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) meets monthly to discusses bicycle and pedestrian issues. This month’s agenda includes discussions of median modifications on MacArthur Blvd at Richmond Blvd, the bicycle and pedestrian facilities program one-year plan, I [BIKE] Oakland 2010 Bikeways Map design review, and nominations for BPAC Chair and Vice-Chair. The BPAC is extremely inclusive – any Oakland resident who attends three consecutive meetings becomes a voting member of the committee – so if you’re interested in bike and ped issues, you should consider attending. The BPAC will be meeting from 5:30-7:30pm in Hearing Room 4 of City Hall, 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza.

Friday, February 19th – WOBO Presents: An Evening with Willie Weir

Join Walk Oakland Bike Oakland to hear Willie bring to life tales from his latest book Travels with Willie that will have you chuckling and leave you wanting to chuck your day job and hit the road. Bicycling magazine says, ‘Travels with Willie is one of the rare bike books that gets it right.’ Weir is a columnist for Adventure Cyclist magazine and a cycling commentator for public radio station KUOW in Seattle. His bicycle travels have taken him around the globe–including such ‘off the tourist path’ destinations as India, South Africa, Bosnia, Laos and Colombia. Tickets: $5 WOBO members, $10 non-members. Special $25 annual WOBO membership (including event ticket) will be available at the door. The book Travels with Willie will be available for purchase for $15 (cash only). All ticket revenue and a portion of book sales will benefit WOBO. This event takes place from 6:30-8:30pm at Oakland Humanist Hall (390 27th Street, between Telegraph & Broadway). For more info, visit WOBO’s website.

Saturday, February 20th – Jane Brunner’s October Community Advisory Meeting: “How Can We as Individuals, and as a City, Address Climate Change?”

This month’s community meeting features Garrett Fitzgerald, City of Oakland Sustainability Coordinator and Emily Kirsch, Oakland Climate Action Coalition. Instead of a typical question and answer period, the meeting will be using the “World Café” approach, breaking up into small groups and intensively discussing our different perspectives on climate change, and our ideas for action we can take. This meeting will be held from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon at Peralta Elementary School, 460 63rd Street. To learn more, call 238-7001.

Saturday, February 20th – Oaklandish Tour De Taco

Hosted by Cyrus Farivar of californiatacotrucks.com and the East Bay Bike Coalition, the Oaklandish Tour De Taco is a gastronomical quest on wheels through the Fruitvale district of Oakland. Whether you’re a taco truck veteran or a mobile food newb, the Oaklandish Tour De Taco is not to be missed. Bring: Bike, helmet, camera, $10-15 for tacos, maybe $5-$10 for ice cream/beer. Bring your friends, your bikes, and an empty stomach to Fruitvale BART, Saturday, February 20th at 11:00am. For more info and the full list of taco trucks to be visited, visit the Facebook event page.

Saturday, February 20th – “DO IT FOR HAITI” A Monumental Benefit and Clothing Drive

“DO IT FOR HAITI” offers a staggering roster of performers and a unique opportunity to support Haiti relief efforts, learn first hand about local organizations working in Haiti and get involved with organizations making a difference on the ground. Events will feature performances and live music including socially relevant theater, Afro-Haitian music and dance, monumental sculpture and art events for children. The event runs from 2:00-11:55pm at NIMBY – 8410 Amelia Street, Oakland CA 94621, which is BART accessible and has bicycle and car parking available. Admission: $10 (children under 12 free). Donations of summer weight clothing for children and adults will be accepted on site. For more info, including the full lineup of artists, see the Facebook event page.

Saturday, February 20th – Obama Campaign Documentary Viewing

Join Organizing for America to honor and commemorate the historic election of President Obama and celebrate the work we did together during his first year in office. We’ll watch the HBO documentary, By the People: the Election of Barack Obama, and plan our work in the coming year. We all need to recommit ourselves to supporting the President and making the change we voted for a reality. Movie starts promptly at 5:30. Barbecue before and after! The event runs from 5-8pm at Everett and Jones, 126 Broadway (corner of 2nd). RSVP and find more info at the event’s website.

October 26-November 1 Oakland Political & Community Events

Tuesday, October 27th – Walk Oakland Bike Oakland Meeting

You may not have thought about it this way, but walking and biking are climate action! Attend WOBO’s October Volunteer Meeting this Tuesday night to discuss opportunities for advancing walking and biking within Oakland’s Energy and Climate Action Plan. The discussion will be led by WOBO Board President Carli Paine.This meeting will be held from 6:30-8:30 pm at Bay Area Wilderness Training, 2301 Broadway, Suite B – enter on 23rd Street. For more info, visit WOBO’s website. (Note that in November, WOBO will change its meeting date to the 4th Thursday of the month, which lands on November 19th.)

Tuesday, October 27th – Sierra Club Meeting on Oakland Energy & Climate Action Plan

Sierra Club East Bay energy activists are holding a meeting for Club members interested in learning more about the Oakland Climate Action Plan and how to advocate for real change that will make Oakland a climate leader. Be a part of the team that will make Oakland a leader in the green economy. The meeting will start at 6:30pm at the Temescal Branch, Oakland Public Library, 5205 Telegraph Ave., at 52nd Street. Contact: Al Weinrub, (510) 531-6692, or al [dot] weinrub [at] comcast [dot] net for further information.

Tuesday, October 27th – San Leandro Community Forum on Bus Rapid Transit

San Leandro will be holding several community meetings over the next few weeks to discuss AC Transt’s bus rapid transit (BRT) project.  Though these meetings will be focused on the San Leandro segment, since Oakland’s community meetings have not yet been scheduled, this will be a great chance for Oaklanders to learn more about the project. At the upcoming San Leandro meetings, AC Transit will provide detailed information on the San Leandro draft plan for BRT and collect feedback to present to policy makers. Light refreshments will be provided and there will be a drawing for free AC Transit bus tickets. The meeting will be held from 6:30 – 8:30 pm, with the presentation at 7, at Bayfair Mall, Second floor, near center escalator, 15555 E. 14th Street. The mall is very easily accessible by the 1/1R or the Bayfair BART station.

Thursday, October 29th – Uptown Masquerade Bash

Uptown Masquerade Bash is a great opportunity to support Oakland’s newly restored Fox Theater. This is a benefit event with proceeds going to Friends of the Oakland Fox, who advocate and support the historic preservation of the Fox Theater, as well as proceeds supporting The East Bay Emergency Relief efforts. The event will be an evening of live music, dancing, drinks, food and festivities. Come in costume or purchase a mask at the venue and dance the night away. The event takes place from 7:30pm-midnight at the Fox Theater, 1807 Telegraph Avenue. General Admission: $20; VIP: $100. Find out more info and RSVP on Facebook.

Friday, October 30th – Roll Up Bike Joust IV

The first Roll Up bike joust took place October 18th, 2008. Since then Roll Up has had 2 more. So this is going to be the 4th Bike Joust we’ve had in the streets of East Oakland, outside The Roll Up bike shop. Grand prizes for the competitors, as well as raffles and prizes for spectators, 2 varieties of tall bike jousting, unicycle olympics, explosions, and more. The event takes place from 8pm-2am outside of Roll Up, 4401 San Leandro Street. Find out more and RSVP on Facebook.

Saturday, October 31st – 23rd Annual Piedmont Avenue Halloween Celebration

Join the Piedmont Avenue Merchants Association on Saturday, October 31 for a family friendly Halloween celebration. Activities throughout the day include a parade at 11am, a pumpkin carving contest hosted by Oaklandish, music, and a pet costume contest. The event takes place on Piedmont Avenue from 9:45am-3:30pm. Visit the Merchants Association website for more details and the full event schedule.
Sunday, November 1st – Fruitvale Dia De Los Muertos

Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a one-day celebration of ancestors, deceased loved ones and community. This year’s commemoration of “Celebrating the Spirit of Community” will be a gigantic event loaded with activities and displays for the entire family to enjoy! You will be able to view altar making, an interactive display and traditional ceremonies presented in partnership with the Oakland Museum of CA. Over 25 sacred artist and community altars will be displayed, and traditional music can be enjoyed in the area around the Fruitvale Village. The BART parking area will be transformed into a vibrant “Plaza Musical.” In the Plaza, Oakland Parks and Recreation will offer children’s activities; in addition, Fun n’ Games rides, retail vendors and tasty ethnic foods will be available. International Boulevard will be filled with arts and craft vendors that will offer Dia de Los Muertos and other ethnic merchandise. This eclectic Day of the Dead celebration is a safe, family oriented, non-alcoholic event that is FREE to the public. The event will take place from 10:00 am-5:00 pm along International Boulevard between Fruitvale and 35th Avenues and will be expanded to the area around the Fruitvale Plaza and down 12th Street to 37th Avenue. For more info, visit Councilmember Ignacio De La Fuente’s website.