SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- The future of the Great Highway will be back before voters Tuesday in San Francisco.
Proposition G asks voters to reverse a previous vote, close the park, and reopen the roadway between Lincoln Way and Sloat Boulevard to vehicles Monday through Friday. Backers of the initiative say since the roadway closed, life has become more difficult for those living on the west side.
“There's good arguments to be made that an unfunded, unplanned, chaotically closed roadway that is just a roadway isn't safe for recreation,” said Richard Corriea with the group Great Highway For Everyone. “Our ambulance response times are slower because of congestion, in part because of congestion. We are sitting in traffic longer; accident rates are up.”
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Visitors are seen during the grand opening of the Sunset Dunes Park along the former Upper Great Highway, in San Francisco, Saturday, April 12, 2025. (Photo by Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
Backers of Prop G were going door to door in the Sunset Monday afternoon, and their message about traffic and safety was resonating with some.
“If something happens, like an earthquake or other disasters, we need another freeway to move people in and out,” said one Sunset district resident who didn’t want to share his name.
Those who want to keep the park and continue the vehicle ban also made a final push for votes Monday at Sunset Dunes Park.
The Friends of Sunset Dunes say the coastal park has been hugely popular and a great success, and complaints to the contrary are misrepresenting the facts.
“We’ve gotten a whole plethora of data on commute time impact and driving safety impact for the neighborhood, and we're really glad to see that commutes are not that impacted. The prototypical trip during rush hour that used the Great Highway is 30 seconds longer today than it was in 2024, and crashes are down in the Sunset District. And so we opened a vibrant, popular coastal park, and people are still getting where they need to go safely,” said Lucas Lux with Friends of Sunset Dunes.
Many of those enjoying the park on Monday afternoon said they had already voted 'No on G' in hopes of keeping the park as it is.
“I love the park. I come almost every day. I see lots of people in the neighborhood enjoying the park, and it just makes sense to me to keep it open,” said Sunset District resident Letizia Rossi.
Also in favor of keeping the park open was Arianne Dar, who came to the park Monday with her granddaughter.
“I want the park to stay. Absolutely, it's 100%. It's always busy. There are always people here, and it's a definite asset to the neighborhood,” she said.
Back in 2024, 55% of San Francisco voters decided to shut down the area to cars and create a park.
