San Francisco's divisive Proposition K permanently closes the Upper Great Highway to cars to open a new waterfront park
On November 5th 2024, 55% of San Francisco voters approved Proposition K, calling for a permanent closure of The Upper Great Highway to private vehicles. The Upper Great Highway is a two-mile stretch of road neighboring Ocean Beach from Lincoln Way to Sloan BLVD. In 2020, the highway closed to private vehicles from Friday afternoons through Sunday, and this measure was set to expire in 2025. The passing of Position K now permanently closes the Upper Great Highway to private vehicles 7 days a week in order to create and maintain an oceanfront park. Ocean Beach and this section of the highway is the third most visited "park" in San Francisco with surfers, bikers, dog-walkers, runners, and family-strollers populating the sand dunes and asphalt. The goal is to mirror the development of the JFK Promenade in San Francisco, adding benches, art, and play structures. Despite the term "oceanfront park," the proposition and its supporters do not plan to dig out the pavement but rather build around the existing infrastructure
Opponents of the proposition-mainly situated in the Upper Great Highway's closest neighbors the Richmond and Sunset districts- worry that adding said structures to the road will inhibit emergency vehicles from using the expressway, especially since residents have reported the frequency of ocean rescues. Opponents are also worried about the diversion of traffic into neighborhood side streets which causes increased air pollution and danger with more anticipated stop-and-go traffic than ever before.
Since there is already a bike and pedestrian path next to the freeway, opponents find this proposition passing unfair. Local residents like Richie Greenberg have officially launched their recall on Richmond District's supervisor Joel Engardio for championing the passing of prop K against the will of his constituents. The goal of this opposition group is to delay the enactment of prop K, in order to provide the public with (what the group says is) the truthful consequences that have been misrepresented to the public.
Other locals like Lucas Lux, a face of the Prop K movement, have been pushing for an oceanfront park free of private vehicles for four years to create a safe place for young kids, old folks, and the habitat's tiny
Basically, the lower part of the highway is already closed due to erosion, orange sand barriers are curving with the weight of the dunes and the Upper Great highway is not far behind. Besides the massive amount of upkeep of sand on the highway, erosion of the dunes threatens local animals and neighborhoods as sea levels rise.
There is no set date for the implementation of a permanent closure of The Upper Great Highway to private vehicles, but proponents of the measure are waiting for a permit from the city to start the process that is expected in early 2025.
