Letters to the editor

  • by BAR staff
  • Wednesday October 30, 2024
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Letters to the editor

Vote no on Prop K

This election, San Francisco's Proposition K — the initiative proposing to close the Upper Great Highway to private vehicles — is being sold as an environmental and recreational win for the city. But in reality, it threatens to divert critical resources and create new challenges for residents, especially those in District 11. In truth, Prop K would do little more than add to the west side's already abundant green spaces, creating traffic snarls and neglecting areas that need parks most.

District 11, with its dense neighborhoods and limited access to open spaces, has far more pressing needs for park funding. Why should residents in our area pay for a so-called park that lacks both a clear plan and budget, especially when it is next to one of San Francisco's largest natural parks: Ocean Beach?

Let's be clear about what Prop K really entails. First, it doesn't eliminate the Upper Great Highway road. The highway will remain open for emergency vehicles, so there will be no cost savings on maintenance, repairs, or upkeep. Second, there's no budget in Prop K for creating or maintaining any kind of green space on this closed roadway. Building a comparable space to the Presidio's Tunnel Tops — constructed for over $100 million for a mere 14 acres — would require extraordinary funding. San Francisco is already grappling with a $1 billion deficit, making this kind of extravagant expense both unrealistic and irresponsible.

The irony is glaring: Prop K promotes turning the Upper Great Highway into a "park" but fails to mention the wealth of open space on the Great Highway's western border, from the dunes to Ocean Beach to the adjacent promenade. Even within the Upper Great Highway area, there's a median with a walking path, and it sits alongside the massive Golden Gate Park.

Worse still, closing the Upper Great Highway would have serious ripple effects on traffic across the city. The highway currently supports over 15,000 cars daily, many of which would be diverted to the already-congested Sunset Boulevard, 19th Avenue, and nearby side streets. These are essential routes for emergency responders and North-South commuters alike. Add thousands of new housing units planned for the Sunset, plus anticipated roadwork on 19th Avenue, and the area will be primed for gridlock. The inevitable increase in idling cars would mean more pollution seeping into neighborhoods farther inland, including District 11, without delivering any environmental benefit.

Prop K not only bypasses genuine environmental needs but also smacks of political expediency. The proposal never underwent a real community review, and no compromise solutions — like weekend-only closures, which currently exist — were seriously considered. This rush to vote feels like an attempt to sideline discussion and force a citywide vote on a district-specific issue. How is it fair for the entire city to vote on a measure that impacts primarily the west side, and yet burdens all taxpayers, particularly in underserved areas that need investment in green spaces?

Our city has real, urgent needs. It's time to prioritize communities that lack parks, green spaces, and recreational opportunities, especially in the southern and eastern neighborhoods, including the Tenderloin, Bayview, and District 11. Supporting Prop K sends a message that our leaders are more interested in ideological victories than addressing San Francisco's most pressing challenges. This isn't about adding "park" space; it's about adding to our frustrations, expenses, and division.

Let's give a firm no to Prop K and demand that any future measures reflect the real needs of our communities. Let's invest in green spaces where they are genuinely lacking. San Francisco deserves thoughtful solutions that work for all, not another poorly planned, poorly funded project that leaves underserved neighborhoods high and dry.

Jose Morales, San Francisco

From a failing road to a coastal park: The case for Prop K

Despite the doom loop song that San Francisco haters love to play on repeat, we know that San Francisco can make big ideas a reality. One such big idea is in the hands of voters this election.

Proposition K is nothing short of transformative, taking a failing road and turning it into a beautiful coastal promenade for West Side residents and all San Franciscans to enjoy.

We need to be upfront with residents: the Great Highway's days as an arterial are numbered, regardless of whether Prop K passes or not. The southern stretch of the road is literally falling into the ocean, and each year, the road closes for up to 65 days for sand removal, costing taxpayers millions.

Prop K offers San Franciscans the best possible alternative.

The future Ocean Beach Park will not only add to San Francisco's beloved collection of world-famous open space, it will restore our local coastal habitat, prevent sea level rise, and energize our local small businesses.

This vision is shared by San Franciscans across the political spectrum.

Former Supervisor Jane Kim and gay state Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) have had their differences over the years — indeed, they once ran against each other in a hotly contested state Senate race — but the two are in lockstep on this issue and both support Prop K. Both of them know that this park simply makes sense for our community. They are joined by Mayor London Breed, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco), seven members of the Board of Supervisors, the Sierra Club, the San Francisco Democratic Party, and many other leaders and organizations.

But let's be clear: this concept was not some top-down idea foisted upon the voters. It emerged from a grassroots movement of West Side residents, particularly parents with young families, who wanted safer streets and fun places to take their kids.

The demand is there. The city currently closes the roadway every weekend as part of a pilot program. Each weekend, it is visited by 10,000 people, making it the third most popular park in San Francisco. This is not a case of "if you build it, they will come." They're already here — in droves.

San Francisco has already proved that we can make this vision a reality. Prop J, which closed JFK Drive to cars, has been a huge success. Residents in the local neighborhood and across the city simply love it. Although it was polling neck-and-neck> in the run-up to the election in 2022, it was ultimately approved by voters with a supermajority voting in favor — an exceedingly rare show of consensus on what was thought to be a highly controversial topic.

Time and time again, when San Francisco converts roads into open space for communities, predictions of a traffic apocalypse fail to materialize. Car Free JFK, the Embarcadero Freeway, the Central Freeway in Hayes Valley — every time we dare to make these changes, San Franciscans overwhelmingly come to love the new spaces they create.

We believe San Franciscans will approve Prop K this election, just as they did with Prop J. We are hungry for big, bold ideas. We have the opportunity to prove that San Francisco is still the City that can.

Let's make lemonade out of lemons and create a world-class park out of a failing road.

State Senator Scott Wiener

Joel Engardio, Matt Dorsey, and Rafael Mandelman, Members, San Francisco Board of Supervisors

Bevan Dufty and Janice Li, Members, BART Board of Directors

San Francisco

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