Over 15,000 signatures submitted, San Francisco citywide voters might have a chance to reopen Upper Great Highway

SAN FRANCISCO — Opponents of the Upper Great Highway closure submitted 15,626 signatures to the Department of Elections on July 6 aiming to qualify for a local ballot measure in the upcoming November election. Organizers of the petitions are strongly confident that citywide voters will have an opportunity to vote on the fate of the Great Highway again.

July 6 was the deadline for proposing local ballot measures for the November 2026 election. It required submitting at least 10,582 valid voter signatures in San Francisco to qualify for the ballot.

On July 6, organizers turned in seven boxes of signed petitions to the Department of Elections with a total of 15,626 signatures supporting the ballot measure to reopen the Upper Great Highway. According to the organizers, they submitted 5,000 more signatures than required.

The initiative measure, called "Great Highway for Everyone Act: A safe and sensible solution," aims to reopen the Upper Great Highway, which was closed 24/7 since March 2025, and reverse Proposition K, which was approved by citywide voters in 2024.

In the November 2024 election, 54.73% of San Francisco citywide voters approved Proposition K to permanently close the Upper Great Highway to private vehicles within the Sunset District boundary between Sloat Boulevard and Lincoln Way. The plan for the closure was to transform the 2-mile-long Upper Great Highway into a coastal park, which was named Sunset Dunes at a later time.

However, voters from the neighborhoods on the west and south sides, including Sunset, Richmond, Excelsior, Oceanview, Ingleside, Visitacion Valley and Bayview, voted overwhelmingly against Proposition K.

Former District 4 Supervisor Joel Engardio, who was elected in 2022 to represent Sunset and Parkside neighborhoods, authored Proposition K and was ultimately recalled by his voters in a special election held on September 16, 2025 due to the passage of Proposition K.

Prior to Proposition K's passage, the Upper Great Highway operated under a compromise: it was open on weekdays and closed on weekends for leisure. Opponents of Proposition K said the closure of a main road—connecting the west and east sides of the city and running from San Mateo County to San Francisco—has created more traffic gridlock, hurting both residents and businesses.

Sitting District 4 Supervisor Alan Wong was appointed by Mayor Daniel Lurie to fill the vacancy left by Engardio on December 1, 2025. Wong joined the majority of his constituents and voted against Proposition K in the November 2024 election.

In January 2026, Wong tried to place a ballot measure to reopen the Great Highway on the June 2026 election by proposing it to the Board of Supervisors, but he failed to secure at least three more votes on the Board.

Wong joined the organizers and volunteers, who turned in boxes of signed petitions to the Department of Elections, and openly endorsed the measure. "We will have an opportunity to settle this issue at the mailbox," Wong said at the Department of Elections. "I always support and endorse this measure for the Great Highway."

"During the initial votes, I don't think that people on the east side saw how strongly people on the west side felt about the issue. Now they know. They have also seen increased traffic in the Sunset neighborhood," Wong said.

Voters on the west side felt that the closure of Great Highway had bigger impacts on them, and Proposition K was unfair because the passage of the measure was determined by the voters on the east side.

"Now that people have the opportunity to experience both the 24/7 closure and the weekend compromise, I think that with this information, voters will be able to make an intelligent choice for what they want," Wong said.

Wong believes all city voters would have more understanding of the issue in November after the Sunset Dunes has been open for over a year. "It will be a chance for the people across the city to vote on it."

Albert Chow, District 4 Supervisor candidate lost in the June 2026 election, brought boxes with signed petitions to the Elections' Office.

Chow is also one of the lead organizers of the Great Highway for Everyone ballot measure campaign. "Our voices were not heard," said Chow. "Because it was unfair, we seek the right thing for the Sunset and west side which is to allow the compromise to remain and stay."

"This is a compromise, a common sense, a fair approach to using that road: close it on weekends so people can play, and open on weekends so hard working folks in San Francisco can go to work, go to schools, go shopping, and see their families and whatever else you want to do. That is important," Chow said.

The campaign was a grassroots effort and volunteers made it happen, Chow said. "Four weeks ago, we had about 7,000 signatures. Quite frankly I was a little worried, and people thought we were not going to make it."

Half of the 15,626 signatures were gathered in the final four weeks before the July 6 deadline. "After my campaign [for Supervisor] was over, we carried these ballots, petitions, window signs, and we rang doorbells," said Chow.

"The Great Highway Compromise works," said Selena Chu, a lead volunteer with the petition campaign. "The compromise keeps the Great Highway open to everyone on weekdays. That means commuters, working families, seniors, people with disabilities, pedestrians, cyclists, and everyone can share access to this space. Weekends and holidays remain restricted access with the exception of emergency vehicles, just like now."

"If City Hall says it wants more families to stay in San Francisco, it shouldn't support policies that make it harder for residents to get around and push families out," Chu said. "The Great Highway Compromise works. It reduces congestion while providing a balanced solution that meets the needs of different communities. It supports the working class, families, seniors, and everyone who depends on reliable transportation options," Chu added.

Friends of Sunset Dunes, a group of supporters of Proposition K, released a statement in response to the Great Highway local measure submission and wrote, "Park opponents submitted their petition today for their measure to destroy Sunset Dunes,"

"By our count, this is their 13th attempt to destroy one of San Francisco’s most visited parks to reconstruct a failed road."

"Make no mistake, this is no 'compromise.' Their deceptive measure would mean an end to all future park planning and destroy everything that makes Sunset Dunes one of the city's most visited parks: oceanview seating and picnic areas, skate and bike parks, public art installations, and kids’ play areas." Friends of Sunset Dunes wrote.

"Sadly, this is nothing new for San Francisco. While it’s unimaginable today to think of walling off the Embarcadero with a freeway, plowing a highway through the heart of Hayes Valley, or treating JFK Promenade as a commuter cut-through, each one of those efforts required multiple ballot measures," Friends of Sunset Dunes stated.