Backlash as San Francisco votes to remodel stretch of freeway into park

Californians have voted to shut a part of a virtually century-old freeway in San Francisco to vehicles, remodeling a two-mile part right into a park for pedestrians and cyclists.

On election day, metropolis residents voted to approve Proposition Ok, extending the ban on automobiles on a portion of the Higher Nice Freeway alongside the shoreline. The measure has sparked intense debate over whether or not vehicles ought to have common entry to the world.

Opponents argue that shutting down the freeway will enhance site visitors congestion and impose excessive prices on town, whereas supporters imagine the closure will assist mitigate coastal erosion and create a protected pedestrian house for the neighborhood.

The roots of the Prop Ok debate hint again to the Covid-19 pandemic, when town’s board of supervisors closed the Higher Nice Freeway to automobiles, permitting residents to stroll and bike there whereas social distancing to scale back virus transmission.

The choice’s reputation led to a pilot program in 2022 that closed the street to vehicles on weekends however allowed weekday entry.

The pilot concludes on the finish of 2025. With the measure’s approval, town can now start the method of completely closing the part after the pilot ends.

As of Monday afternoon, the vote stood at greater than 54% in favor of Prop Ok, in response to San Francisco’s division of elections. The measure wants 50% or extra to be authorized.

Critics argued that redirecting site visitors from the Higher Nice Freeway to inland routes may add as much as three minutes to commutes for drivers and create security dangers for pedestrians at intersections. “Many people on the west facet really feel unheard and missed,” mentioned Vin Budhai, founding father of the Open the Nice Freeway/No on Ok Marketing campaign. “Households, seniors and staff who depend on this street will now need to spend extra time in site visitors.”

Jared Lozano, a resident, instructed CBS Information Bay Space: “I’ve already had a buddy who’s been T-boned at [a nearby] intersection,” including: “I used to be nearly run over at that intersection as we speak. That is simply going to create so many security issues for town.”

Whereas town has put in velocity bumps in some areas to scale back dashing, opponents contend that the prevailing weekend-only closure was already a good compromise for weekday commuters and leisure customers.

Supporters of the park conversion say it is going to allow public businesses to revive dunes and coastal habitats, strengthening them to face up to rising sea ranges. In addition they argue that limiting car entry will scale back greenhouse gasoline emissions and air pollution on this delicate coastal ecosystem, making the coast safer and extra accessible for folks utilizing wheelchairs, curler skates and bikes.

Supporters additionally level to the excessive prices of sustaining the freeway, which is closed as much as 65 days per 12 months – 18% of the time – as a result of sand accumulation.

Preserving the freeway accessible to vehicles prices town between $350,000 and $700,000 yearly for sand removing, with an extra $1.5m in one-time capital prices, in response to the San Francisco controller’s workplace. Proponents argue that changing the stretch to a park may save these funds for different makes use of.

Prop Ok obtained notable endorsements from former Home speaker Nancy Pelosi, the state senator Scott Wiener, and the incumbent San Francisco mayor, London Breed. Organizations and teams together with the San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Parks Alliance, and Sierra Membership additionally prolonged their help. Opponents included Aaron Peskin, president of the board of supervisors; Daniel Lurie, town’s newly elected mayor and Mark Farrell, former interim mayor.

The town supervisor, Joel Engardio, who supported the measure, expressed on Sunday his dedication to listening to residents who voted in opposition to Prop Ok.

“I perceive and respect the views of voters who mentioned no to Prop Ok,” he mentioned in a assertion. “I’ll work with residents to make sure that they’ve a voice in selections about methods to preserve site visitors shifting rapidly whereas minimizing the impacts on neighborhood streets.”