By Megan Robertson 

The four-lane highway overlooking Ocean Beach became the site of one of the most heated political disputes in San Francisco this election cycle. 

Proposition K, a ballot measure which aimed to permanently shut-down the stretch of the Upper Great Highway (UGH) from Lincoln Way to Sloat Boulevard and convert it into a full-time city park, passed Nov. 5. 

Supporters find excitement in the expansion of the City’s part-time public space, which has been closed to most vehicles on weekends and holidays since 2020. Opposition for shutting down this space largely comes from residents who commute to Daly City and the South Bay via the highway, along with those who have concerns over the rerouting of commuter traffic. 

Despite being shot down by approximately 60% of Sunset District and 70% of Richmond District voters, the measure passed citywide by 54.7%, with support coming mostly from the City’s eastside residents. 

Now, the City is quickly working to fully activate the space as a “car-free promenade” by early next year. On Nov. 21, the City was awarded a $1 million grant from the California State Coastal Conservancy to fund art projects, water fountains, trash bins, event programming and dune restoration. 

The City is also in the process of applying for a Coastal Commission permit, which is needed before the space can be actualized as a city park. The current weekend shutdown agreement remains in-place until the City obtains this permit, or until the already scheduled end of the program on Dec. 31, 2025, whichever comes first. 

“We’re really excited that the San Franciscans see and share the vision that we’ve had for years. We’re excited to get to work to make that vision come to fruition,” said Lucas Lux, board president of Friends of the Great Highway Park. 

For the past four years, the UGH has gone through different iterations of public access. It was first shut-down to traffic – with the exception of Muni and emergency vehicles – in 2020 due to COVID-19. After a prolonged period of closure, community groups, like Open the Great Highway and Friends of the Great Highway, formed in response to residents’ concerns. 

In 2022 the current agreement was put in place, which only shut the road on weekends and holidays. Vin Budhai, founder of the Open the Great Highway/“No on K” campaign, said this agreement worked for both recreational park-goers and weekly commuters.

“(Our) campaign was just all about leaving the compromise in place,” Budhai said. “The commuters get what they want. And the folks who want the park, they get what they want.”

This summer, when District 4 Supervisor Joel Engardio introduced Proposition K to the ballot, it became “an all or nothing game,” Budhai said. “That’s why I came back into the picture to fight it.” 

The latest data available show more than 14,000 vehicles utilize the Great Highway each weekday, according to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) and the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department. Budhai is one of many Sunset residents who worry about where that traffic will go. 

“All those cars are now going to flood through our neighborhood streets, which they’re not designed for. And 19th Avenue and Sunset Boulevard are not capable of handling that traffic,” Budhai said. 

To mitigate this concern, the City announced in a Nov. 21 press release they will be making the following modifications/improvements to prepare for rerouted traffic in the Sunset District: 

• Repaving Sunset Boulevard.

• Activating a new signal at Sloat Boulevard and Skyline Boulevard.

• Activating a new signal at Skyline Boulevard and the Upper Great Highway.

• Traffic changes to the promenade intersections of the Great Highway at Lincoln Way and Sloat Boulevard.

Additionally, the City stated they have “installed 25 speed humps and 12 stop signs on directly adjacent streets to Great Highway.” They plan to install traffic signals “along the Lincoln Way corridor at La Playa Street, 41st Avenue and 45th Avenue.”

“Regardless of how you voted on Prop. K, we all share the same passion for making our neighborhood a better place,” Lux said. “We are excited and look forward to working with all of our neighbors on making the park the best it can be and addressing any concerns that folks have on the traffic impact on the streets that we live on.”

Although Budhai said his Open the Great Highway/“No on K” campaign is in discussion with “Yes on K” members, their fight is not yet over. 

“I am keeping my options open to try to figure out ways to get the highway reopened,” Budhai said. “Even though we lost on Proposition K, we’re still going to keep advocating for our neighborhood, for the Sunset and for the Great Highway. We’re not giving up the fight.”