Prop K passed to permanently close the Upper Great Highway

SAN FRANCISCO — Proposition K, a local ballot measure proposed to permanently close the Upper Great Highway and strongly opposed by the Chinese community, was approved by 54.72% of the vote in the November 5 election.

According to the latest election results, a total of 205,814 (54.72%) votes supported Prop K, while 170,282 (45.28%) votes were against the measure.

The data analyzed by electionmapsf.com indicates that voters from the neighborhoods along the westside and south border of the city including Sunset, Richmond, Oceanview, Outer Mission, Portola, and Visitacion Valley overwhelmingly opposed the measure. Those are also Asian neighborhoods.

Prop K was also proposed to build a new coastal park after the 2-mile long Upper Great Highway is closed for private vehicles for good.

The yes votes for Prop K were mostly from the east side neighborhoods including Castro, Hayes Valley, Mission, Noe Valley, Mission Bay, and Telegraph Hill.

Prop K was authored by District 4 Supervisor Joel Engardio and supported by Mayor London Breed, State Senator Scott Wiener and six Supervisors.

Currently the Upper Great Highway is closed from Friday afternoon to Sunday night for outdoor activities. Members of the Chinese community who organized high-profile rallies to protest against the measure argued that Prop K would profoundly impact the Asian community who rely on the Upper Great Highway for commuting for work and business and sending children to schools.

Engardio commented on Prop K's approval by voters, "Voters citywide support closing the roadway’s middle section full time — beyond the already popular weekend closures that attract thousands of people who use the asphalt for recreation with an ocean view. Yet Prop K does not have majority support in the Sunset, which is home to this part of the Great Highway."

"These are valid concerns. I will work with residents to ensure that they have a voice in decisions about how to keep traffic moving quickly while minimizing the impacts on neighborhood streets," Engardio wrote.

Open the Great Highway-No on K Campaign challenged Engardio on the process of proposing Prop K without having community input. "This wasn’t about creating a park — it was a decision to close a critical road that our community relies on daily, with consequences that will worsen traffic, disrupt local streets, and affect safety in ways many citywide voters might not fully realize," No on K Campaign stated.

"We are deeply disappointed in the Prop K result and Supervisor Joel Engardio's approach to remove a lifeline for the west side that will fundamentally change the chance of large working families in his district. Prop K hurts Asian Americans who supported him," Chinese American Democratic Club posted on social media.