Great Highway for Everyone turned in boxes of signed petitions on Monday, putting a ballot measure to reopen part of the Great Highway to cars on track for San Francisco’s November ballot. The Department of Elections now has 30 days to check whether the signatures are enough to qualify the Great Highway for Everyone Act for a citywide vote on Nov. 3.
Albert Chow on weekday access
Albert Chow, a small-business owner and campaign leader, said he personally gathered several hundred signatures for the measure. He said, "We’re seeking a fair balance between having fun, but also the real, everyday need to get to work, to do chores, take kids to school, take parents to the hospital, to see family, to shop, to all the things that are just necessary in life". The campaign said it is confident it can clear the 10,582-signature requirement handily, and organizers said they had at least 15,626 signatures in hand.
Great Highway and Sunset Dunes
The measure would open the Great Highway to car traffic again on weekdays and keep Sunset Dunes Park open only on weekends. San Franciscans voted 55 to 45 in 2024 to remove cars from part of the Great Highway, and that vote turned part of the roadway into Sunset Dunes Park. District 4 Supervisor Alan Wong supported the measure and called the issue "contentious" in his neighborhood.
A pro-park group filed a lawsuit last week saying the petition includes several false or misleading statements. Lucas Lux of Friends of Sunset Dunes said, "San Franciscans have already made it clear that they love Sunset Dunes, and that they won’t let this vocal minority destroy it". Jim Ross said, "They have a really challenging path ahead of them to get this measure passed," and added that the lawsuit "muddies" the campaign’s message.
If the signatures hold up, the Great Highway for Everyone Act moves to Nov. 3, where voters would decide whether weekdays on the Great Highway reopen to cars or the park arrangement stays in place. That verification step is the only gate left before the issue returns to the ballot.
Department of Elections deadline
The Department of Elections must finish its review within 30 days of Monday. If enough signatures are substantiated, the measure qualifies for the November ballot; if not, the campaign falls short of the 10,582-signature threshold even after turning in 15,626 names. For neighbors on the Sunset and Richmond side of the road, the next answer is whether the petition survives that review.
