Proposal to reopen Great Highway falls short of qualifying for June ballot

SAN FRANCISCO - San Francisco Supervisor Alan Wong on Tuesday was unable to garner enough support from colleagues in his effort to reopen the Great Highway to cars in time for the June election ballot measure deadline. 

Road to reopening the Great Highway

The backstory:

Wong's proposed ballot measure would have effectively reversed Proposition K, the November 2024 measure passed by San Francisco voters that closed the thoroughfare to cars in favor of the oceanfront park now called Sunset Dunes.

Wong was appointed by Mayor Daniel Lurie last December after District 4 voters recalled former Supervisor Joel Engardio in September. The closure of the Great Highway played a major part in the recall of Engardio, who led Proposition K. 

Wong's plan would have allowed cars to use the Great Highway only on weekdays, opening up an artery for commuters. It would close it to cars on the weekends, allowing pedestrians to use the space. 

Effort fails 

What we know:

But as the clock ticked closer to the 5 p.m. Tuesday deadline, Wong struggled to reach the required threshold of fellow supervisors needed to get the measure on the ballot. 

At least three other supervisors would have had to get on board, but only two signed on in support. District 1 Supervisor Connie Chan agreed to it on Sunday, and District 11 Supervisor Chyanne Chen gave her signature just an hour before the 5 p.m. deadline on Tuesday. 

Wong had hoped to get the last signature from Supervisor Shamann Walton, who had expressed interest in reopening the Great Highway. 

"My strategy was to try to get all the folks that had previously indicated they were 'No on K' to be on board," Wong said in an interview Tuesday. "Ultimately I was not able to get everybody to sign on."

Not getting Walton's support was "surprising," Wong said, since Walton has historically taken positions against other efforts to close roads to cars. Additionally, Walton's chief of staff was present when Wong announced his final draft of the measure. 

"We were hoping to get his support as the final one, and I was hopeful because his chief of staff showed up to our initial announcement," Wong said. 

What they're saying:

Members of Friends of Sunset Dunes, the organization that advocated for the creation of the park, stood outside City Hall to give reactions after the deadline passed, expressing relief when they learned that Wong was unable to get enough supervisors on board. 

"Our supervisors here in San Francisco knew that a strong majority of San Franciscans voted for this park and it keeps getting more and more popular," said Heidi Moseson, a founding board member of the group, in an interview. 

Moseson pointed out what she saw as flaws in the measure, such as not having a final version of it until less than a week before the deadline.  

When asked if he would do anything differently, Wong said he and his office did their best given the time limitations. 

"What we shared was very straightforward and simple -- Do you support rescinding Proposition K and reopening the Great Highway on weekdays?" Wong said. "That's a straightforward policy matter that folks have taken a position on."

To be able to get the measure on the June 2026 ballot, Wong only had about one month between the beginning of his tenure and the deadline. 

"I think that we did everything that we could with the time constraints," he said. "Remember, I was just appointed in December, and we're in January right now, and the deadline is today."

Political allies

One of Walton's aides, Natalie Gee, is running against Wong in the upcoming June election where District 4 voters will decide if they want to keep Wong as their supervisor to serve out the remainder of Engardio's term.

"I don't dare to speculate," Wong said when asked if he thought that Gee's campaign had anything to do with Walton's decision. "When people are making policy decisions, there's also politics involved. Ultimately, everything is intertwined."

A path forward?

But Wong could still reintroduce the measure and try again for the November 2026 election. However, he thinks changing the minds of more supervisors would be an uphill battle. 

"I don't think that I would get different results if I tried with the same colleagues," he said.

Engardio was pleased to learn that most supervisors did not get on board.

"I'm glad that the vast majority of supervisors realized putting Sunset Dunes back on the ballot would be a distracting political wedge issue," Engardio said in a statement. "We need to focus on issues like affordability and everything else that has the world on fire right now."

If there are any future efforts to try and allow cars back onto the Great Highway, park advocates like Moseson and Engardio said they will be ready to fight back. 

"We are here for the long term to build this permanent coastal park for San Francisco" Moseson said. "We are not going anywhere."

 

San FranciscoNews