Plan to reopen San Francisco's Great Highway appears to fail, officials say
A ballot measure that would reverse the 2024 decision to close San Francisco's Great Highway to motor vehicles appears headed for defeat.
According to preliminary election results, Proposition G was losing in early returns, with 62.79% voting no. The measure would have reopened a two-mile stretch of the road to cars and trucks on weekdays and kept the road closed to motor vehicles on weekends and holidays.
In a statement, Supervisor Alan Wong, who supported reopening the highway to vehicles, said he respected the decision by voters.
"My focus moving forward will be on addressing the neighborhood impacts of the permanent closure," Wong said. "Whether a resident supported Proposition G or opposed it, I will continue working with all residents and City departments to ensure the Sunset residents' concerns are heard and that practical improvements are made on the surrounding streets."
Two years ago, 54% of voters approved Proposition K, closing the highway to motor vehicle traffic for the creation of the park, which was named Sunset Dunes. While the measure passed citywide, the plan caused backlash in the Sunset District, where voters recalled supervisor Joel Engardio, who had supported Prop. K.
Residents who sought to reopen the Great Highway to vehicles submitted more than 15,000 signatures to put Prop. G on the ballot. An analysis by the San Francisco City Controller's Office found reopening the road would cost $9.8 million in one-time capital costs and annual costs ranging from $500,000 to $1.9 million.
"The sacrifice to make Sunset Dunes possible was worth it. Every day is a reward when you get to see thousands of people improving their physical and mental health with an ocean view," Engardio posted on social media following Tuesday's election.
"Now that we've voted on this issue three times in four years, it's time to accept that Sunset Dunes is here to stay. There's no reason to keep fighting over one of San Francisco's most popular parks," the former supervisor added.
Prop. G was the latest chapter in a yearslong saga over access to the road on the city's western edge. The Great Highway was fully closed to vehicles during stay-at-home orders issued at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, before the road reopened to traffic during weekdays.