Not too happy about this..

Measure K passes, closing part of San Francisco's Great Highway

By Madilynne Medina

A 2-mile section of the Upper Great Highway will be permanently closed to private vehicles after San Francisco voters approved local Measure K. 

As of Saturday afternoon, approval of the measure was leading by a margin of more than 8 percentage points, or 54.06% to 45.94%, according to unofficial results from Tuesday's general election. 

The 2-mile coastal stretch between Lincoln Way and Sloat Boulevard will be transformed into a recreational space for pedestrians and cyclists. 

Measure K's approval ends a heated debate in the city’s west-side neighborhoods around the future of the highway. Supporters said closing the road would allow community members to safely recreate at the iconic coastline and help mitigate coastal erosion. Opponents argued the road closure would cause traffic chaos and cost the city too much money. 

Building up to Nov. 5, San Francisco voters said the Great Highway was a top issue in this year’s local election. 

The ordinance to close the road was backed by Supervisors Joel Engardio (District 4), Myrna Melgar (District 7), Dean Preston (District 5), Rafael Mandelman (District 8) and Matt Dorsey (Dsitrict 6). In the mayoral election, many of the front-runners differed in their stance on Prop. K. 

Candidates Aaron Peskin, Mark Farrell and Daniel Lurie all opposed the proposition, while District 11 Supervisor Ahsha Safaí and incumbent mayor London Breed supported the initiative. Lurie, a political newcomer and heir to the Levi Strauss & Co. fortune, ultimately won the election. 

Other prominent politicians supported the proposition, including U.S. House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and state Sen. Scott Wiener. 

The Upper Great Highway first closed as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020. In August 2021, the city adopted a pilot program to close the roadway only on weekends, except for emergency vehicles and park staff. The pilot program ends Dec. 31, 2025. 

Officials can now start the process of closing the entire section of the road sometime after the pilot program ends. 

In May, the Board of Supervisors approved an ordinance that will close a different part of the highway, two-thirds of a mile between Sloat Boulevard and Skyline Boulevard.