The Great Highway After Prop K

Proposition K asked voters if San Francisco should transition a section of the Great Highway into an oceanside park.

Voters citywide supported closing the roadway’s middle section full time — beyond the already popular weekend closures that attract thousands of people who use the asphalt for recreation with an ocean view. Yet Prop K was not supported by a majority in the Sunset, which is home to this part of the Great Highway.

I understand and respect the views of voters who said no to Prop K. I’ve knocked on thousands of doors the past few months to talk to Sunset residents one-on-one about the future of the Great Highway. I heard from many who were concerned about increased traffic on side streets and losing a convenient driving route.

These are valid concerns. I will work with residents to ensure that they have a voice in decisions about how to keep traffic moving quickly while minimizing the impacts on neighborhood streets. The Sunset is united — including both supporters and opponents of Prop K — in wanting safe residential streets and better traffic flow. We can work on this together as the park is planned, and I’m committed to ensuring the implementation of Prop K goes as smoothly as possible for the Sunset.

I heard from Sunset residents who are upset that the Great Highway’s future was determined by people who do not live on the westside. But this was unavoidable. Clarity was needed about what to do with the road. Park advocates sought a full time park space while car advocates tried to kill the weekend compromise with their own citywide ballot measure in 2022. When that failed, they continued to file unsuccessful appeals to restore 24/7 car access. 

There were only two ways to resolve this issue: either by the voters directly or by the 11 members of the Board of Supervisors. Either way, residents on the eastside would have a say or supervisors representing the eastside would have a say. 

Five supervisors put Prop K on the ballot and a majority signed the ballot argument in favor of the measure, which signals how they would have voted on this legislatively. With no scheduled elections until June 2026 and the pilot weekend closure set to expire in December 2025, the fate of the Great Highway would be in hands of supervisors absent Prop K on this November’s ballot.

Rather than 11 supervisors deciding the future of our collective coast, a vote at the ballot box gave everyone a say. After all, the coast belongs to everyone.

It’s important to note that the state — and Mother Nature herself — is forcing us to close the southern section of the Great Highway because it’s falling into the ocean from coastal erosion. The northern section that connects the Richmond and Sunset neighborhoods is not affected by Prop K and will remain open to cars 24/7. 

Before Prop K, we knew the Great Highway was losing its greatest utility as a direct connection to Daly City. With the southern section already set to close by the state coastal commission and legislated unanimously by the Board of Supervisors, all traffic will have to turn inland soon. Prop K makes it possible to create a park if traffic turns left one intersection sooner. That’s because Prop K only applies to the stretch of road between Lincoln and Sloat that bypasses the Sunset without any on/off ramps for cars.

It’s also important to note that the movement to create an oceanside park is led by Sunset residents. They came up with the idea and advocated for it. I agreed with their vision because I believe a park will be good for the environment, provide a boost to local businesses, and bring joy to generations of people. It’s the best choice for how to use our limited coast.

I saw the additional opportunities a park could bring to the Sunset. Our merchant corridors — served by two train lines that go to the coast — would prosper from added foot traffic and new customers. Our communities would benefit from new recreational activities and gathering spaces, while ensuring access for everyone. And our open spaces would be permanently protected, allowing us to restore the environment. 

Yet a majority of Sunset residents voted against a full-time park. As the representative to 80,000 residents, we won’t agree on every issue. But it’s important to focus on solving common concerns.

In listening to feedback from all Sunset residents, both pro-park and pro-highway people agree that City Hall must be more responsive to westside transportation needs.

That’s why I am committed to addressing the traffic and street safety concerns of local residents. This includes improving the traffic flow on arterials like Lincoln Way and Sunset Boulevard to discourage cars from cutting through our local streets.  A new traffic signal at Sloat/Skyline is already funded and scheduled to replace a 3-way stop sign. A four-way stop sign at Lincoln and 41st Ave will be replaced along with other stop signs on Lincoln. Residents must have a greater say in which traffic calming measures they want in their neighborhoods, especially as the city plans for a park.

Meanwhile, implementing Prop K will take time. Status quo won’t change for a while, and I look forward to working with my constituents on park and traffic improvements.

I believe people will come to love a future ocean beach park — as they now love Crissy Field, JFK Drive, and the Embarcadero. All of these San Francisco gems had controversial transformations to spaces that prioritize people and community.

We can have an ocean beach park and help people get to where they need to go. We can create more reliable routes to get around, without congesting our residential streets. This can be a win-win proposition.

Read more about the future of the Great Highway.