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This article is adapted from an episode of our podcast “Civic.” Click the audio player below to hear the full story.
When it comes to Proposition K, there is no shortage of differing opinions. The ballot measure, which would permanently close a 2-mile stretch of the Great Highway to cars and put it on track to become a park, has divided residents of San Francisco’s west side as opposing political campaigns have argued over the potential impacts, including on vehicle traffic. A Public Press analysis of multiple traffic studies last week found that the closure would likely cause minor increases to north-south commutes by car, though it is unclear exactly how much longer those commutes would be.
For our latest episode of “Civic,” a podcast by the San Francisco Public Press, we interviewed multiple people about their relationships with the Great Highway and how they have used it over the years, in order to better understand why this issue has become one of the highest-profile this election.
Click the audio player to hear this full episode of “Civic.”
Jennifer Jung: Highway is vital route to job
Growing up, Jennifer Jung used the Great Highway to get to many places, from her grandma’s home to a Chinese grocery market in Daly City. Now she takes it from her Richmond District home to the public school in Pacifica where she teaches.
In recent years, the stretch of road from Lincoln Way to Sloat Boulevard, called the Upper Great Highway, has closed to traffic on weekends in accordance with a pilot program that is slated to end in 2025. Jung has enjoyed walking, biking and roller skating with friends there during the temporary closures.
If it passes, Proposition K will decide the road’s fate before the pilot program’s end.
Jung does not support the measure. She would prefer to maintain the status quo, she said, which makes it easy to get to her job and have fun when the week is done.
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Sophie Shao: Pushing for Proposition K, a new park
When Sophie Shao moved to the Inner Richmond neighborhood two years ago, she felt underwhelmed. Having lived in mega cities like Beijing, New York and Hong Kong, she was used to the fast-paced lifestyle typical in concrete jungles.
“But here, you actually have real jungles,” she said, referring the many parks in the city.
Shao found her rhythm by joining the campaign to support Proposition K. It gave her opportunities to attend numerous local events, including the Taraval Night Market, held on the Upper Great Highway. That was where she introduced her husband to people who became lasting friends.
Shao sees “great potential” for a permanently car-free highway and related events to help residents build important connections.
“We’ve already seen people meeting their neighbors this way, and this is actually the top story I hear from supporters,” she said.
Selena Chu: Road connects communities, loved ones
On weekends, when the coastal roadway closes to cars and becomes walkable, Selena Chu frequently finds herself sitting in traffic longer during her drives through Golden Gate Park.
“Are we there yet? Are we there yet?” her children often ask.
After 14 years in the Richmond District, Chu now lives in the Sunset District. She uses the Great Highway to visit her extended family in the two districts and get to her kids’ favorite restaurant.
Chu is not alone: Many Chinese Americans in the city use the road to stay connected with family members after moving to different neighborhoods or the South Bay.
If Proposition K passes, it will push many of those commuters east into Golden Gate Park where traffic will slow, according to a Public Press analysis.
That’s why Chu opposes the measure.
Getting across Golden Gate Park is already “frustrating and stressful,” she said. “How many times can you sit there and do that?”
