Great Highway Ballot Measure Proposal Appears Doomed for June Election

Last-minute efforts to place another Great Highway ballot measure before San Francisco voters in June 2026 appear headed for defeat.

Supervisor Alan Wong, who represents the Sunset District, is leading the charge to give voters another chance to weigh in on whether cars should be allowed back on the Great Highway during the week. The deadline to submit the measure is Tuesday at 5 p.m., and he still needs two additional supervisors to sign on.

“We have a narrow window, and my office is still doing our best to advocate and reach out to the two possible remaining signatories,” Wong said on Tuesday afternoon ahead of the deadline.

Richmond Supervisor Connie Chan, who is currently running for California’s 11th Congressional seat, announced she would back Wong’s measure.

Other board members who have previously signaled they could support the idea, such as Supervisors Chyanne Chen and Shamann Walton, did not immediately say whether they plan to sign on.

The fight over the Great Highway has been a fraught issue in District 4 for years now. In 2020, the city closed a 2-mile stretch of the road to cars to allow for more social distancing and recreation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Then in 2022, voters elected to keep the road closed to cars on weekends and allow them on weekdays.

In November 2024, voters citywide passed Proposition K, which permanently closed the upper portion of the Great Highway to cars to make way for a beachside park, called Sunset Dunes, which opened in April 2025.

Supporters of the park say it’s brought increased foot traffic to local businesses and created an outdoor venue for events, cycling and strolling, art exhibits and a skate park. Others point to how the Great Highway is in need of an environmental overhaul already due to climate change, and note that the lower portion of the road is already closed due to coastal erosion.

“What I say to my neighbors who voted against this park, is come join us to plan the future of our collective park together,” said Lucas Lux, a Sunset resident and president of Friends of Sunset Dunes. “The park belongs, and the coast belongs, to everyone in this city, no matter how you voted. So it’s time to work together to build that coast.”

Despite Proposition K’s success citywide, voters who live closest to the park in the Sunset largely voted against removing cars from the Great Highway. Mayor Daniel Lurie appointed Wong in December to represent the Sunset after District 4 voters recalled their former supervisor, Joel Engargio, largely over his support of Proposition K.

Wong, who was born and raised in the neighborhood, said he voted against Proposition K and supports reopening the Great Highway to cars during weekdays and keeping it closed as a park on weekends.

Not all businesses have felt a boost from the road closure.

“Our restaurant is right on 19th Avenue, and we have seen fewer customers because traffic is so backed up and parking is harder to access,” said Susan Wang, owner of Guilin Rice Noodles House, in a press release from Supervisor Wong’s office.

Others who want cars back on the westside thoroughfare, including Wong, said Proposition K has led to increased traffic in the area and has made commuting hours a headache. A study from the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Authority found minimal impact, however.

“When that access was removed, those trips didn’t go away. Traffic was redirected onto neighborhood streets and already busy corridors, changing what everyday life looks like for families, seniors and small businesses across the Sunset,” Wong said. “I need to listen to my constituents and prioritize daily commutes to work, school and essential services over weekday recreational use.”

As of 3 p.m., Wong had just two supervisors backing the measure, including himself.

The supervisor said he plans to issue an update on the ballot measure by the end of the day.

KQED reporter Ayah Ali-Ahmad contributed to this story.