Yes on K Declares Victory on San Francisco's Proposition K

Updated 11:20 a.m. Monday

San Francisco voters appear to have approved Proposition K, which would permanently cut off car traffic on part of the Great Highway along Ocean Beach.

In the latest vote tallies released by the San Francisco Department of Elections Saturday afternoon, the Yes on K vote led by just over an 8 percentage point margin.

Multiple news outlets have called the race for the Yes campaign, which declared victory Saturday evening, calling the vote a win for the city.

“We’re grateful that San Franciscans voted for community and coastal rehabilitation over convenience,” said Yes on K volunteer and Sunset resident Heidi Moseson. “Now that Prop K has passed, we’re committed to working with Supervisor Engardio and the city to implement traffic calming on residential streets, improve traffic flow on alternate arteries like Sunset Boulevard, and also advocate for better MUNI service like improvements to the N, increasing the frequency of the North/South 18 bus, and preventing potential service cuts from impacting the neighborhood.”

But representatives for the No on K campaign said they were still not ready to concede Saturday evening.

“We feel let down, but we aren’t giving up,” Vin Budhai, manager of the No on K campaign, said in a statement. “We’ll keep fighting for real solutions that respect our needs and protect our community.”

The roadway’s closure to vehicle traffic marks a big win for environmentalists who want to prepare the west side of San Francisco for future sea level rise.

Sea level rise and coastal erosion threaten the highway, which frequently must be closed to clear windblown sand. Now, the city is set to move ahead with plans to ban all car traffic on the Upper Great Highway between Lincoln Way and Sloat Boulevard.

A section of the highway farther south is already slated to close in early 2025 because of erosion.

Aside from the mayor’s race, Proposition K was one of the most contentious election fights in San Francisco this year.

District 4 Supervisor Joel Engardio, who cosponsored Proposition K, celebrated Thursday, writing on his website the city could address potential issues the highway closure may cause with road improvements, such as replacing stop signs with traffic lights along streets like Lincoln Way.

Proposition K’s apparent passage is a big step toward turning the road into park space. Emergency vehicles will still have access to the road, which is currently open to car traffic on weekdays and closed on weekends. San Francisco closed the Upper Great Highway to car traffic during a COVID-19 pandemic-era pilot program, allowing people to bicycle, skate, walk and listen to live music performances along the historic road.

San Francisco-based politicians, including Mayor London Breed, state Sen. Scott Wiener and House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, supported the proposition. Three of the candidates who challenged Breed for her seat — Daniel Lurie, Aaron Peskin and Mark Farrell — opposed it. District 1 Supervisor Connie Chan, representing the Richmond District, also opposed the ballot measure.

The San Francisco Estuary Institute published an October report detailing three future scenarios for the highway: banning cars, maintaining the status quo, or returning cars altogether.

“While all planning scenarios for the Great Highway present some opportunities to enhance or protect ecosystem health, closing the roadway to cars entirely has the greatest and most immediate ecological benefits,” the report said.

The road closure would benefit the area by rehabilitating dunes as a buffer against sea level rise. However, opponents claim that permanently closing it will increase traffic and congestion in nearby neighborhoods. 

“Closing this road would permanently push vehicles onto adjacent neighborhood streets, bringing noise, traffic snarls and potential accidents,” said Richie Greenberg, who wrote the opposition argument against Proposition K.