This Week: Scooters in Oakland, Mayor Schaaf, Downtown San Jose

Here are this week’s highlights from the Streetsblog calendar:

• Tuesday Scooters in Oakland. Electric scooters began dotting Oakland’s streets late in 2018 and soon thereafter became a popular way to zip around the city–as well as a challenge for the city’s department of transportation. The agency reacted by implementing new plans and policies and is now conducting extensive outreach to enable this new mobility option to fit into our urban landscape. Join SPUR for a discussion. Tuesday, Jan. 29, 12:30 p.m., SPUR Oakland, 1544 Broadway, Oakland.
• Tuesday Mayor Schaaf’s Next Four Years. Taking a firm stand on topics like immigration, homelessness, racial equity and gentrification, incumbent Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf won her bid for a second term in the city’s top office. Her tenure has already reverberated to the White House with a challenge to Donald Trump on immigration enforcement, and she recently launched new programs to combat homelessness. Join SPUR to hear what the mayor has in store for her next four years. Tuesday, Jan. 29, 6 p.m., SPUR Oakland, 1544 Broadway, Oakland.
• Wednesday Downtown San Jose’s Commercial Draw. Downtown San Jose has become the South Bay’s urban center, with numerous new residential and retail projects drawn to the neighborhood’s walkability, transit and urban amenities. With Google’s plans at Diridon Station and office space in short supply, learn how downtown is coming into its own as an urban job center. Wednesday, Jan. 30, 12:30 p.m., SPUR San Jose, 76 South First Street, San Jose.
• Wednesday Folsom and Howard Open House #2. Give feedback on designs for Folsom and Howard streets. The project could include a parking-protected bikeway with concrete buffers, pedestrian safety upgrades like new signals and mid-block crossings, and transit-only lanes. If approved, construction would begin in 2021. Wednesday, Jan. 30, 6:30-8 p.m., Bessie Carmichael Elementary School, 375 7th St., San Francisco
• Friday Women Bike SF Coffee Club. This monthly coffee club is an opportunity to meet new people, talk bikes, share tips, and caffeinate. If you’re new to riding or interested but haven’t gotten rolling yet, this is a perfect place to find riding buddies and answer some of your questions about biking in SF. Friday, Feb. 1, 8-9 a.m., Mercury Cafe, 201 Octavia St., S.F.
• Saturday Walk SF’s 49 Mile Scenic Walk. Walk the city’s historic 49 Mile Scenic Drive in chunks over the course of nine months. This new event is inspired by and possible thanks to Kristine Poggioli and Carolyn Eidson, authors of Walking San Francisco’s 49 Mile Scenic Drive. Walk SF will guide a group of 25 people each month on approximately 6-mile sections of the route from February through October. First segment: Saturday, Feb. 2, 10-1 p.m., for more details email info@walksf.org.
• Saturday Urban Cycling 101 Classroom Workshop. Bike East Bay, with support from the UC Berkeley Police Department, offers free, two-hour bicycle skills workshops. These classes are all open to the general public, but are also being offered to ticketed cyclists to qualify for a fine reduction (more info here). Saturday, Feb. 2, 1-3 p.m., Barrows Hall, Room 175, UC Berkeley

Got an event we should know about? Drop us a line.