By ConnectedSF

This was, by far, the most controversial measure on the ballot. Why? Because nothing divides a neighborhood (or city) more than shutting down a major thoroughfare that people use every day to drive their kids to school or themselves to work, and need for access to important services, like the hospital or local businesses. Instead, Proposition K was a victory for the elitist few who now can use the Upper Great Highway as their personal promenade, driving home their point that recreation should take precedence over daily living.  

What we saw in the fight over Prop. K was a clash between affluent, self-interested, ideological activists and everyday San Franciscans – working families, small business owners, seniors and people with disabilities – whose lives will be negatively impacted by the longer commutes, more traffic headaches, quiet streets becoming cut-through zones and decreased access to business corridors. 

The ultimate success of Prop. K was based not on public support but on backroom deals and deliberate sidestepping of the democratic process. This measure, designed to overturn an accepted compromise, should never have been included on a citywide ballot – and it has fueled local constituents’ anger and a sense of helplessness that the rest of the City could have a say in what happens just outside their front door. The fact that the messaging coming out of the pro-K machine was full of inaccuracies, misrepresentations, promises and demonstrable dishonesty did not help.

Behind the Yes on Prop. K campaign stood a powerful alliance: Joel Engardio, Myrna Melgar and other supervisors who quietly pushed through a ballot measure they knew would anger many westside constituents, along with Abundant SF, KidSafeSF and the Bike Coalition who brought their money, manpower and social media machine. This group mastered their game plan, blindsiding the neighborhoods most affected.

But here’s the thing: Their strategy, while effective, is turning neighborhoods upside down. They’ve perfected their playbook for outmaneuvering residents, and unless we wake up to these tactics, they’ll keep running this play for years to come.

What started as temporary COVID-19 street closures has evolved into something far more concerning – shutting down major roads based on flawed surveys, performative community input sessions and an adherence to a transportation ideology that serves only a small percentage of residents. 

What has unfolded over the last four years is a cautionary tale for the future.

In March 2020, when the world shut down, an already ideological, anti-car SFMTA acted swiftly and shut down a handful of streets, creating “slow streets.” This was a great idea in some circumstances – in neighborhoods with very little greenspace – but they also closed essential thoroughfares located adjacent to (Lake Street) and even within (JFK Drive in Golden Gate Park and a handful of large thoroughfares in the Presidio) large parks. 

Most residents expected these streets would reopen after the lockdown was lifted. When they weren’t, and the slow-street phenomena continued, neighbors were forced to create pressure groups, like Open Lake Street and Open the Great Highway, to fight for these already safe (with wide sidewalks and bike lanes), yet critical, streets to be re-opened. 

Simultaneously, a collection of anti-car groups and politicians decided that nearly 1.5 miles of JFK Drive should be closed permanently to cars, taking 1,000 free parking spaces with it. With the support of Mayor London Breed, politicians and special interest groups put Prop. J on the November 2022 ballot. It passed. 

In November 2022, after the loss of Prop. I, a compromise pilot program was negotiated, such that the Upper Great Highway would remain closed to vehicle traffic on weekends but would open during the week to cars. (This program was supposed to last through 2025 and then be reevaluated with community input.) 

Meanwhile, Mayor Breed, after striking a compromise with Open Lake Street to end its slow-street status, revoked this agreement after Prop. J passed. Even with SFMTA stacking the deck with survey questions favoring street closure, the majority of Lake Street residents (and their neighbors) still voted to reopen their street. (Coincidentally, the founders of Abundance SF and KidSafe SF were seated in the front row at the next Mayoral State of the City address just a few months later and went on to support her failed mayoral campaign.)

Fast forward to 2024 – having learned from the rancorous battles over street closures, this time the anti-car coalition took a different approach with the Upper Great Highway. Rather than honor the 2022 compromise, they orchestrated including Prop. K on the November ballot, pushing for permanent 24/7 closure. With at least five supervisors among their supporters, they were able to put Prop. K on the ballot without lifting a finger to collect signatures. The same propaganda strategy that proved so effective with JFK Drive was in place well before most westside residents even knew they would be blindsided by Prop. K – filing at the last possible deadline and leaving Sunset and Richmond residents with minimal time to mount an opposition.

This is not how our democratic process is supposed to work and has left many feeling frustrated and, worse, helpless. Our supervisors have a duty to serve the residents and businesses in their districts, not pander to ideological, paternalistic special interests and donors. 

By catering to the most extreme positions on transit, housing and environmental issues, some of our city leaders have created a perfect storm of radical transportation policies. The irony? Once people realize what’s happening, this overreach may end up damaging the very causes they claim to champion.

So, sure, the anti-car coalition won this battle, but at what cost? They’re turning neighbor against neighbor, district against district. And while it might look like just another bikes-versus-cars showdown, this runs deeper and could have serious consequences for our City’s future. This crusade – wrapped in rhetoric about lifestyle choices, mobility and privilege – threatens to undo San Francisco’s recent progress toward more moderate, practical policies.

ConnectedSF is an organization dedicated to promoting stronger communities through civic engagement and informed citizenry. Founded in 2021, the organization actively supports and nurtures local neighborhood groups, including Save Our Richmond Environment (SOAR) and Sensible D-7, engaged in daily problem-solving to address community challenges. ConnectedSF believes in the power of citizen involvement to drive positive change and shape the future of San Francisco.