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Editor's note: I don't often see a post from a politician that warrants republishing, but this one by District 4 Supervisor Joel Engardio is an exception. When threatened with demonstrations or a recall from reactionary drivers in their district, most politicians shrivel, make excuses, and fail to show leadership. Engardio, on the other hand, is standing fast for a referendum in November in support of the Great Highway Park. Here is his post, republished here with permission:
San Franciscans should be able to decide whether the Great Highway becomes an oceanside park or remains a road for cars. I will not remove a ballot measure under threat of recall.
A ballot measure lets residents who oppose a park organize against it. And it gives supporters a chance to make their case for why we need it. Every voter deserves to have their voice heard.
What to do with the Great Highway is a policy issue that reasonable people disagree on. I believe voters should get to hear the facts and make their own decision.
I understand why people are nervous about turning the Great Highway into a park. I get that being stuck in traffic or not being able to find parking means spending less time with family. It’s a concern I take very seriously.
My husband and I drive the same roads and deal with the same traffic that every Sunset resident endures. We don’t want more traffic on Sunset Boulevard and we don’t want drivers speeding through our neighborhood streets as shortcuts.
As the city supervisor for the Sunset, I’ve been studying every angle of this issue since before I was elected. I’ve met with many experts on parks and open space, traffic mitigation, small business activation, and beach erosion. The community can now weigh in with their vote.
I’ve always talked about the pending closure of the highway South of Sloat due to coastal erosion and how it would create the opportunity for a permanent oceanside park between Lincoln and Sloat. The compromise to allow weekend closures was a good thing two years ago, but a lot has changed since then. Notably, voters in 2022 said "no" to a full-time reopening of the road to cars. This year, the Coastal Commission denied an appeal to end the compromise and bring cars back 24/7.
I’ve come to believe that transforming a section of the Great Highway into an iconic oceanside park is the right thing to do. Creating this space will help the environment, boost local merchants, and bring people joy. I also believe it’s a once-in-a-century opportunity to create a catalyst for a renaissance in the Sunset and San Francisco.
As we plan this park, we can ensure westside residents can still get to work, take their kids to school, drive an elderly parent to the doctor, and run essential errands. We will implement solutions to keep traffic away from local streets and make it flow better on arterials like Sunset Boulevard and Lincoln Way.
We’re only talking about closing the section of the Great Highway between Lincoln and Sloat, which has never had any on/off ramps for cars to access the Sunset. The Great Highway north of Lincoln will remain open to cars 24/7 for direct access between Richmond and Sunset residents.
Also, remember that the section of Great Highway south of Sloat is set to close due to coastal erosion — California’s Coastal Commission will not let the city rebuild this road at the expense of the beach. This has already been legislated and is a done deal. Without a direct connection to Daly City, we have to think about what is the best use of the section between Lincoln and Sloat. I believe we can reimagine it as an oceanside park.
Read more details about the ballot measure and the plans to mitigate traffic in my blog post.
Opponents of the park recently threatened me with a recall if I didn’t pull the ballot measure for this November’s election that asks voters to decide if the city should plan for a section of the Great Highway to become a permanent oceanside park.
I put this measure on the ballot with four other supervisors (Dorsey, Mandelman, Melgar, and Preston) along with support from Mayor Breed.
My colleagues and I are asking a momentous question: Should a coastal highway remain what it was the past century or should it become something new for the next 100 years? Our coast is not owned by drivers, cyclists, or one neighborhood. It belongs to all San Franciscans. A decision of this magnitude deserves to be made directly by voters.
Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi attended a Fourth of July parade I helped organize on the Great Highway on a day it was closed to traffic. She gave a speech to the crowd, which gathered around her. As she spoke, she looked at the community of families, kids, seniors, local musicians, and artists who expressed their desire to make the space a full-time park.
“This is a dream,” Pelosi said, “and let’s hope that it can come true.”
She also spoke about the need for everyone to have a say in the decision.
“Everybody might not have his or her way at the end of the day,” Pelosi said. “But at least they know their voices will be heard, and that is what a democracy is about.”
For residents who are opposed to the park or undecided, I invite you to imagine the benefits of transforming the section of the Great Highway between Lincoln and Sloat:
— It’s good for the environment as we face coastal erosion and climate change.
— Small businesses throughout the Sunset district will benefit. Two train lines offer a direct ride to the beach. Locals and tourists alike will become new neighborhood customers as they hop off the train for lunch, dinner, or drinks on their way to or from the park.
— Generations of kids will learn how to ride a bike and play in a car-free space, seniors will have better access to the coast, and communities will have a gathering place to celebrate art, music, and culture.
The decision to tear down the Embarcadero freeway was controversial 35 years ago, just as the decision about the Great Highway is today. I wonder, will the Great Highway for cars become as forgotten as the old Embarcadero freeway?
Will our kids and generations after them be able to imagine San Francisco without an oceanside park? Will we be the lucky ones who get to create this joyful place that will define San Francisco for the next century?
We get to decide this November.
