The Way It Is Now:

• In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the City closed certain public streets to private motor vehicles, reserving the streets as public open space for recreational purposes. These closures included the Great Highway between Lincoln Way and Sloat Boulevard (Upper Great Highway), adjacent to Ocean Beach.
• In May 2022, the City replaced the pandemic restrictions on the Upper Great Highway with a pilot program closing the Upper Great Highway to private motor vehicles on Friday afternoons, weekends and holidays. The closure does not apply to emergency vehicles, official government vehicles, intra-park transit shuttle buses and similar vehicles authorized to transport people.
• This pilot program is scheduled to end on December 31, 2025. When the pilot program ends, the Upper Great Highway will be open to private motor vehicles.
• The City's General Plan sets objectives and policies for land uses within San Francisco, including streets. The California Coastal Act guides land uses along the California coast. Changes in use to the Upper Great Highway may require amendments to the General Plan and approvals under the California Coastal Act.
• The Recreation and Parks Commission has jurisdiction over most public parks and other recreational facilities in San Francisco, including the Upper Great Highway. Under the Commission's direction, the Recreation and Parks' General Manager oversees the use of those recreational facilities.

The Proposal:

Proposition ___ would:

• Allow the City to use the Upper Great Highway for public open recreation space, permanently closing it to private motor vehicles seven days a week, with limited exceptions.
• Continue to allow emergency vehicles, official government vehicles, intra-park transit shuttle buses and similar authorized vehicles to access the Upper Great Highway at all times.
• Give the General Manager of the Recreation and Parks Department the authority to determine an emergency exists and allow private motor vehicles to use the Upper Great Highway.
• Require, within 180 days of voter approval of this measure, the City to seek any other approvals necessary to permanently close the Upper Great Highway to private motor vehicles. Those approvals may include amendments to the City's General Plan and approvals under the California Coastal Act.
• Keep the current pilot program in place until all necessary approvals are obtained and permits granted, or, until the pilot program is scheduled to end on December 31, 2025.

What Your Vote Means:

• A "YES" Vote: You want the City to use the Upper Great Highway as public open recreation space, permanently closing it to private motor vehicles seven days a week, with limited exceptions.
• A "NO" Vote: You do not want the City to make these changes.

1. The proposed ordinance (Proposition K) would permanently close the Upper Great Highway to private vehicles between Lincoln Way and Sloat Boulevard, establishing a public open recreation space.

2. If approved, the ordinance is estimated to reduce government costs by up to $1.5 million in one-time capital project savings and $350,000 to $700,000 annually in maintenance and operational cost savings.

3. Annual operational cost savings could come from reductions in sand removal, roadway maintenance, and operating costs, though some new costs may arise for trash pick-up and Park Ranger patrols.

4. The closure would likely result in decreased capital project costs, potentially saving up to $4.3 million on traffic signal replacements, offset by $860,000 to $2.7 million in new planning, design, and traffic calming costs.

5. The final cost implications depend on future decisions made by Mayors, Boards of Supervisors, and impacted departments, as the ordinance cannot bind future administrations to specific funding commitments.