Advocates are celebrating a milestone in the conversion of the Upper Great Highway into a beachfront park, with the announcement over the weekend that the road will close to cars for good on April 12.
"We're excited that San Francisco's newest park will open in just six weeks, transforming oceanfront space into a vibrant and accessible public asset," wrote Lucas Lux, President of Friends of Ocean Beach Park, in an email to Streetsblog. "On day one, this park will launch with seating, recreation areas, public art, and intuitive wayfinding, with much more to come as we continue to gather input from the community."
More from the Friends of Ocean Beach Park release:
Over the following weeks, we’ll be working closely with SFMTA, SFPUC, and Rec & Park on major traffic and safety improvements at the Great Highway’s intersections—making it easier to access the park by foot, bike, and transit. At the same time, crews will be setting up seating areas, recreation spaces, and the first round of temporary public art installations.
Some of that art is already in progress. A mural by Emily Fromm is half done at Judah Street.
If all goes according to plan, by April there will be:
- Murals celebrating local surf culture, sea life, and neighborhood history
- Lounge spaces with chairs, hammocks, and elevated seating for ocean views
- A nature exploration area designed especially for kids
- Sculptures and interactive public art
- Bike parking and a bike pump track
- Intimate seating areas for live music and performances
Advocates have created a web page that maps out all these planned amenities and more.
The San Francisco Rec & Parks department is also holding a naming contest for the "Ocean Beach Park/Great Highway Park" or whatever it will ultimately be called. Submit your ideas here. The deadline for submitting ideas is 5 p.m. on Sunday, March 16.
“The conversion of Upper Great Highway into a 2-mile long, 43-acre oceanfront park is a historic moment for San Francisco and California, and moves our city towards Streets Forward’s vision of transforming San Francisco’s streets into safe, equitable, and sustainable public spaces for all," wrote Streets Forward's Luke Bornheimer in an email to Streetsblog.
