San Francisco's Prop K would transform Great Highway into recreation space

San Francisco’s Great Highway could undergo the most dramatic transformation of its ninety-five year existence if Prop K passes in the November election, closing a large swath of the roadway and converting it into recreational space.

The permanent closure of the stretch of highway between Lincoln and Sloat Boulevards would mark a lasting shift to a roadway that was initially closed during the pandemic, but then reopened through a board of supervisors pilot project that allowed traffic during the week and closed for recreation during weekends.

Proposition K, which was placed on the ballot in June by a vote of five supervisors, has divided residents of the city’s Western neighborhoods — with numerous houses fronting the highway displaying campaign signs for and against.

“On the weekends when we have this stretch of the road as a park people are voting with their feet,” said Heidi Moseson, a neighbor and member of the Yes on K campaign. “It’s already the third most visited park space.”

Proponents of Prop K argue the stretch of highway is past its usefulness, already closed up an average of 32 times a year because of erosion issues which fill the roadway with sand from adjacent Ocean Beach.

Groups in favor of Prop K said the continued closures have conditioned drivers to take other roads, including nearby Sunset Boulevard to navigate the area. Additionally, Moseson pointed-out the stretch of Great Highway south of Sloat Boulevard is already set to close by legislative decree in the coming years due to coastal erosion issues.

“If Prop K passes and we get to convert this into a full-time park,” Moseson said, “we would be able to create a reliable smooth, predictable route for drivers.”

On weekends, the closed off road is filled with people riding bicycles, roller-blading, jogging or strolling. Prop K supporters said the measure would allow for that experience full-time and the potential for more permanent recreational structures and art installations.

“If we are able to actually create this as a park, and come together as a community to create it together,” said Sunset resident and business owner Britt-Marie Alm, “there would be ways for things to really take root.”

Opponents of Prop K said the permanent closure of the highway would dump more traffic into residential neighborhoods and cause traffic nightmares for drivers trying to traverse the area. Matt Boschetto, a Sunset resident and candidate for District 7 supervisor, said the closure would impact thousands of drivers who use the road daily.

“You have to ask yourself whether a closed road with a couple more plants and a couple more benches and maybe a winding pathway,” Boschetto said, “is a better use of this than serving 18-thousand families and commuters a day.”

Boschetto described the ballot measure as an end-around the compromise reached by the board of supervisors that allowed traffic during the week and recreation on weekends. He also noted Prop K doesn’t have any funding for a park.

Standing between Ocean Beach and the road, he pointed to promenades on either side of the highway where people were jogging and riding bicycles along the beach as reason why the highway’s closure isn’t needed.

“We’re essentially closing probably one of the most important travel corridors and travel arteries on the West side of San Francisco,” Boschetto said. “For a park next to one of our largest open spaces in San Francisco — the beach.”

But Prop K proponents said the closure of the highway would also have environmental benefits - reducing the amount of pollution coming from cars, such as micro plastics which end up on the beach.

Sunset resident and Prop K supporter Alex Wong said he believes the project would eventually be embraced by the community.

“When the Embarcadero came down it was a fight, when Central Freeway came down it was a fight,” Wong said. “But it ultimately ended-up in a better place and that’s where I think we’ll be too.”