together. one bay area city looks at an emergency designation as a way to clean things up. >> in the heart of wine country. you'll meet the people stoking fear and resentment. in the south bay, 4,000 feet of controversy that could stop a popular restaurant from moving in. >> also ahead, fewer people using mass transto it get around. we're looking at why and a possible solution. plus, eight marathons in eight days. and rain hits the bay area. when we can expect to dry out. >> now, news build a better bay area.

>> homelessness is more visible as camps seem to sprout with regularity. now they may categorize one as an emergency shelter. the goal would be to ensure that guard bang is picked up and the people living there stay healthy. >> we're committed to building a better bay area. that means finding improvements to the issues that impact your quality of life. now, solutions are not always simple. >> not at all. >> we begin with abc7 news reporter laura anthony. laura? >> reporter: well, hi. there is a meeting set here for the city council. they will discuss a plan, an emergency plan to shelter some folks underneath an overpass in berkeley. everyone agrees the issue needs to be addressed. the issue is one of location. one they call both unsafe and

illegal. >> is that something you would do? >> yeah, yeah, i would do that. >> reporter: homeless for 20 years, she said she would at leaf consider a proposed tent based emergency shelter in berkeley. crawford and her dog mischief live in one of a cluster of tents amid considerable garbage. just off the i-80 freeway. >> we try to keep it contained-ish. some of us have problems but we're trying to survive. we're just trying to live. they don't give us very much to work with. >> it would be in a storage yard under the university avenue overpass down the road at second street. up to 75 people could stay for up to 180 days. >> there would be a staff person there 24/7. >> reporter: she says the tech shelter would be managed by a local nonprofit. >> this would be an organized system of trash pick-up, showers, hand washing stations, as well as a set of behavioral

rules that would help us work the community. >> reporter: the city has conducted an online survey to gauge residents' feelings. 53% approve. 43% disapprove of that you caltrans says it is a violation of its policies to have people lodging or sleeping under its structures. those who live near the site worry about potential impacts to them and then there's question of whether people like crawford will really move there. >> hard to be contained. what kind of situation? is it roommates in the tent? i can't do a bunch of roommates. i have social anxiety and anxiety. i can't do a bunch of people like that. >> reporter: this meeting is set to begin here in berkeley at 6:00. it is important to point out that the vote is just to ask staff to do further study. the location has yet to be

identified. under the overpass is just the preferred location. aibls 7 news. >> okay. thank you. in santa rosa, the issue is focused on people along the popular trail. it is the largest in sonoma county. you've been talking with folks who are selected to win a new shelter. >> yes. there is to question that they have the best of intentions to moving them from this trail to a homeless encampment on the outside of town. but speaking with residents, it is clear there is a misunderstanding about what's in store. >> reporter: when a trash bin presents opportunity, then it is another bad day on the trail. >> i hate asking people for stuff. i hate begging. i hate all that. >> reporter: a level of distress made worse by the falling rain. >> how cold is it? >> really cold.

>> they're two of more than two hundred homeless still camped out here while sonoma county prepares outdoor shelters ten mize out of town for city of then. >> reporter: would you go if they asked you? >> no. >> reporter: i believe it is accept up like a concentration camp. >> reporter: they are the faceless and nameless just across highway 12 from the soon to be occupied encampment. at a meeting last week, many expressed kernel. >> insorry that they're so fear have. has the poor choice in dire circumstanc circumstances. >> we're all from walks of the world here. and all we need is a place to be. sonoma says they'll rid the area of the homeless. who is going? mostly a mystery out here but patrick donahue was on the list. not that he wants to live in that shelter. >> i don't want somebody to tell me that i can't move around

freely. >> reporter: it is no good if he goes, em, and maybe if he stays, this is with a sonoma county is dealing with. so many cases. is it too late for change? >> i've been on the streets for 28 years. >> reporter: what happens next? >> i'm not sure. >> reporter: that's a fairly standard answer. they're not sure. it's worth saying we asked sonoma county to put us with other people. the county declined and said the situation is a bit too tenuous. they don't want to jeopardize anything. >> the high cost of housing is obviously the reason homelessness has surged but rising housi prices is also why public transit is also

declining. what's going on? >> reporter: the study from ucla will come out tomorrow. riders like the ones we spoke to here seem to have no choice but to look for other transit options. she has the daily commute that is becoming all too common in the bay area. >> it's like an hour and a half in total. >> it is a little bit the tiring. >> reporter: she's a big supporter of public transit. if cost wasn't an issue, this is what she would do. >> probe a lyft or an uber. >> reporter: how much would that cost you? >> about $25 each way. >> reporter: a new study shows that especially in off peak hours, transit is giving way to lyft and uber. the study points to the high cost of living when more people leave the city or have longer

commutes, the less competitive transit becomes. almost every rider we met lived outside of san francisco. >> the experience on b.a.r.t. is a little jarring giving the amount of people and the inconvenience coming to navigate that. >> that's one of the proposed solutions. addressing crowding issues, improve off peak service and better integration of fares and routes. >> especially friends from europe are really confused. it is disjoinltd. why are there so many methods? muni, b.a.r.t. >> reporter: why do you think it is declining? >> it needs to change. it is bad for the environment west need less people driving. >> reporter: they don't believe transit fares, fewer schultz are

to blame. abc7 news. the university of california won't vote on tuition hikes tomorrow as planned of instead, they will discuss the reason for the plan. among the options, increasing tuition for each incoming class but guaranteeing that price for the length of a student's education up to six years. chain controls have been dropped on 80. snow in the sierra and a little rain in the bay area. >> that's right. the roads are turning slippery in the bay area. i'll be back with how long this wet weather will last coming up. more litter, more noise, why they say it will happen and the critical vote they plan on

stopping it. tonight. that's ahead. plus -- >> they want to go viral but for the right reasons. not because of an unhappy customer.

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to help lower the cost of health insurance... more for those already getting it, and new help for many who haven't gotten help before. so check to see how much you could save. it only takes 5 minutes. the last day to enroll is january 31st. so get covered today. the city councilmembers in campbell are set to vote on whether to let chick-fil-a take over this corner at baskin avenue and arroyo seco drive. some say chick-fil-a doesn't belong there. live at campbell city hall with the story. chris? >> reporter: hi, dan. that meeting is set to begin at 7:30 tonight here at city hall. councilmembers are expecting a large crowd and the public will have a chance to weigh in before a decision is made. a proposal to redevelop this lot into a chick-fil-a has is that members in campbell thinking

twice. >> it is not an average operator. i think they have to be treated with a little different view. >> reporter: after months of debate, they will have final say on an application to replace the current denny's with the popular fast food chicken chain. psych the number of homes east of the proposed site. dave lives in that neighborhood of the. >> we think the site is too small. we think access is too difficult. one of the concerns we have is that it will havon a single ingress and egress point. >> reporter: in fact more than 1,000 residents have signed a petition to reject the project. >> there are so many better projects that will not cause the traffic problems. >> reporter: the access the limited because of medians in place. for example, if you're coming from the prune yard, one of the few ways to get on to arroyo seco drive, by driving further down to a stop light to make a turn around there. add in the potential traffic back-up from a chick-fil-a and

neighbors say it is a recipe for disaster. despite that, some say would it boost the corridor. >> it is convenient. that's the whole point. so why not have something close to where we work? we can walk right over. >> reporter: they hope to have a civil discussion. >> our tax base allows to us provide services so we have to look temperature in a bigger picture. >> reporter: it is estimated that would it bring in 2,200 vehicles to the area where the restaurant has been proposed. >> thank you. on to consumer news and dealing with bad customer service. >> it is so frustrating. >> that's every day. if you have a problem with it, social media may be the way to go. it can be a powerful way to get

results quickly. andreas loves barbecue and he spent big bucks on his custom made smoker. but when his pit arrived damaged, he was devastated. >> when i saw the damage, i honestly couldn't even believe. i. >> reporter: the wheel axe was bent, paint was chipped and it was cover in the denlts and dings so he took to social media. >> i took pictures of the damage and uploaded it. people started chiming in with similar experiences. >> reporter: the company quickly took notice and the owner contacted him directly. he was sent parts for repairs and fresh paint and he was refunded more than $1,000. more and more, consumers are following the lead and taking to social media to get results. it is tip country easily searchable and the company is limited in its ability to hide

that complaint. >> here some tips. first, target an active, verified account. one that is regularly monitored. never post private information in public places. this is especially important for facebook and twitter. only disclose that time of info through direct message when's you know you're chatting with a company representative. and be honest. exaggerating your claim won't help you get better service. and always be respectful. a positive attitude may result in a positive outcome. >> companies recognize the power of social media. they know that a negative complaint can reflect badly on the entire country. >> fortunately andreas feels his situation was rectified. >> i don't think i could have gotten better customer service. >> if you don't want to deal with all of that, just contact 7 on your side. we're here 24/7. >> the world has changed with social media. >> as if running a marathon isn't a big enough

accomplishment, a runner is running eight marathons in eight days on seven couldn't nenlts. brandon watkins works at the children's hospital in stanford and is taking on the monumental feat to raise money for the children's fund. yesterday he finished his first marathon in automatic lunde, new zealand. here's a look at all the places he'll run. he calls it a monumental life experience. the funds will go for children and expectant moms. >> i hope he has comfortable shoes. >> let's talk about the forecast.

richmond-san rafael bridge, showing you the rain drops. mt. diablo, 27. definitely watch out as you look at live doppler 7. it is not a big storm but certainly enough on dampen the roadways. in the north bay, we'll start out around sausalito. you will notice the street level radar, it is getting wet. and in the east bay, seeing some light rain. san francisco, daly city, seeing the wet pavement as well down the peninsula heading into the south bay and parts of santa cruz mountains. here's a lye look from our santa cruz camera. they've seen some rain drops as well in case you decide to check out the waves. there is a beach hazard statement that has been extended until 9:00 a.m. tomorrow. sneaker waves and certainly large breakers right along the

coast. so definitely use caution. low visibility with rain drops on the lens. morning fog and milder afternoons the next three days. and we're looking at rain returning this upcoming weekend as far as the steady rain. a level one system tonight through early tomorrow morning. scattered light showers, a tenth to a half inch of rain. so far a half inch to an inch and three quarters at the northern end of sonoma county. breezy to gusty conditions. here's the time line. 6:00 tonight suflt at the showers slicing across the bay area. midnight, the east bay, we'll have a few more showers before it winds down. the morning commute will have some fog. by noontime you're starting to see the sun break down. tomorrow morning, two things to look for.

fog and some slippery roadways. storm afternoon, you're looking at a mix of sun, clouds, temperature will come up from the low 50s at lake port to the low 60s in san jose. early morning fog and drops on the seven day. dry, a little milder for thursday. friday, mid 60s inland, upper 50s along the coast. late night, a chance of showers. we'll bring back the wet weather with rain developing on saturday. showers, sunday, monday, always level one and another chance coming in late tuesday. up next, the 3-year-old attacked by a mountain

doprevagen is the number oneild mempharmacist-recommendeding? memory support brand. you can find it in the vitamin aisle in stores everywhere. prevagen. healthier brain. better life. a 3-year-old boy was attacked by a mountain lion this week. >> quick thinking helped save the boy's life.

>> we looked up and there was a mountain lion with a backpack. >> the mountain lion came out of somewhere. attacked 3-year-old, grabbed him by the neck and started grabbing him. >> the boy's father was quick to throw a backpack at the mountain lion and remarkably -- >> the mountain lion dropped the 3year-old and grabbed the backpack and went into the tree. >> there it was perched but not for long. the california department of fish and wildlife said it had to be shot and killed in the interests of public safety. as for the 3-year-old boy -- >> she had her son in her arms have the son was crying and a little bit scared. >> really quick thinking. that boy is okay. the mountain lion's body is in sacramento being tested. we have a programming note to tell you about. abc's brand localish is expanding to tv. they connect good news, good people and good eats. beginning february 17th, you can final on it over the air digital

channels 7.2 and comcast channel 715. >> still ahead, we say thank you for the steps picture. share your picture with us with #abc7 now.

in 2016 i warned thatt donald trump was a dangerous demagogue, and when the republican congress wouldn't hold him accountable, i went to work helping run winning campaigns in twenty-one house seats. it's time for the senate to act and remove trump from office, and if they won't do their jobs, this november you and i will. i'm mike bloomberg and i approve this message.

coming up at 6:00, the family shares the story first with the i-team. hear what their son says he endured before he reportedly confessed to the crime. also, a stanford infectious

disease expert sheds light on the deadly new corona virus and how concerned we should be now that it spread from china to the u.s. from 7 on your side, an old scam targets new victims of a local woman was conned out of $6,000 by someone posing as a pg&e worker. all that coming up at 6:00 of the. >> thank you. finally, a single tweet has made one man the enemy of book worps all around the globe. >> he is now being called the book murderer and here's why. alex cuts books in half to make them easier to carry. he tweeted a photo of some of the books, asking if anyone else does it. people responded. >> many were upset. some called it inhumane. others tried to read between the lines, ha ha, asking if it was just a prank trying to get attention. now a plot twist. he himself is an author with two published november's. >> people may be too harsh.

i've done that before so you go read half and i can read half. let's say we started it. if he loves books, that's all that is important. >> world news tonight is next.