Local Highway Spurs Controversy for Upcoming Local Elections

Asha Ingram, Staff Writer

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - This upcoming November, the city will have the vote to decide the fate of a local coastal highway. The Great Highway, located near ocean beach on the westside of San Francisco has been the center of debate for years and will be one of the more prominent decisions made during the 2024 elections in Proposition K. If the Proposition passes the Upper Great Highway will be permanently closed to private vehicles.

Supporters of Prop K include Sunset District Supervisor Joel Engardio and Mayor London Breed. Originally the one who brought this to ballot, Engardio, thinks that the highway's closure could benefit the local community. He has also proposed building a public park in place of the highway.

Proposition K was brought up to permanently close the highway to private vehicles and make it open to bikers and pedestrians instead. Since the pandemic, the city has had a hybrid program with the highway, with it being open to cars during the week and closed during the weekends. However, many people have wanted to see it permanently closed for years. 

In addition to supporting the closure of the highway, Engardio has also proposed building a public park, called the Ocean Beach Park, in place of the highway.

“Ocean Beach Park will help the environment, boost local merchants, and bring people joy. It’s good for the environment as we face coastal erosion and climate change. Small businesses throughout the Sunset district will benefit.” he said.

While any plans for the park are hypothetical right now, he thinks that it will create a recreation space available to everyone and will save the city money by reducing the need and cost for sand removal. He hopes to acquire funding for it through state and federal grants, a future park bond, and public-private partnerships. 

“In the short term, the ballot measure will close the road between Lincoln and Sloat to allow for a full-time coastal park promenade. It will look like what it already does on the weekends when the road is closed to traffic. This is already a success with 9,400 people on average visiting each weekend, making the promenade San Francisco’s third most popular park. Data show that 4,000 people visit on Saturdays, 4,000 on Sundays, and 1,400 on Friday afternoons.” Engardio said. 

Many people are skeptical of this plan for a park on the highway. Paul Kosakowiecz, Sunset resident and former editor/owner of the local Richmond Review newspaper, who has been outspoken about this particular issue for years, views this ocean beach park as not having a concrete enough plan.

“The forces pushing for the closure of the UGH claim Prop. K will create a great, world-class park. But there is no plan. Prop. K is just a road closure – an injustice forced on Sunset and Richmond district residents.” he said in his OP-ED for the Richmond Review titled ¨There is no Plan for the UGH Park.¨

Kosakowiecz has been very outspoken on this issue for years.  Arguing that the closure of the Great Highway “Diverts more than 14,000 vehicles a day, a number that has been increasing over the last four years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The closure will also likely move traffic in that area mainly to Sunset Boulevard and Lincoln Way. Which he describes as  “a high-risk injury corridor”, and “is in direct conflict with the City’s Vision Zero plan,” he said 

According to the Great Highway Pilot Visitacion and Traffic Data collected by SF Park and Recreation, in 2023, 14,471 cars were recorded daily driving across the Upper Great Highway. However, it was also found that commute times only increased by an average of three minutes being redirected. Still delays were observed in areas like Great Highway at Lincoln, Chain of Lakes and MLK drive.

Others against Prop K include District One Supervisor Connie Chan and mayoral candidates Daniel Lurie, Mark Farell and Aaron Peskin.

As passionate as both arguments can be for the highway, Kathy Zhao, a student at Washington High School, sees both sides to the debate. 

¨I think that fundamentally it is a good idea, it creates more recreational space that hopefully pushes people to use public transit in lieu of personal vehicles. I get why people oppose it though.” she said.

Zhao lives in Oceanside and uses the highway to commute to school everyday, which on average takes her about 25 minutes. While she doesnt expect her commute to change massively if the highway closes, there are times when she still would rather use it to get to school.

¨It will maybe increase by a few minutes. I don't go to school during the morning rush so Sunset Boulevard isn't that bad,¨ she explained ¨Though with all the construction and lane closures in that area though I´d rather take the Great Highway.¨

As nice as Ocean Park may sound, with the school closers happening for 2026, it is certain that many students will be commuting farther to get to school next year. The Great Highway could play a beneficial role in helping make this long commute a little easier. As for other everyday commuters and local residents, the Great Highway still remains critical for everyday use. Residents will have to make the choice between a closure with non definite plans for a park, or keeping a highway that will remain controversial to many.