San Francisco Ballot Measure Targets Car-Free Highway's Traffic Effects
Judi Gorski, a 75-year-old retired art business owner, lives near San Francisco's Sunset Dunes park, a two-mile car-free section of Upper Great Highway. The closure redirected as many as 20,000 vehicles daily onto residential streets, prompting Proposition G on the Nov. 3 ballot to restore weekday car access. The Yes on G campaign has raised $130,000, while the No on G campaign has raised $800,000, with Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman providing about half of the opposition funding.
Judi Gorski, 75, is retired from the art business and lives above Sunset Dunes park. The park covers a two-mile stretch of Upper Great Highway that now bans cars, attracting bicyclists, skateboarders, and walkers to coastal views.
The closure diverted up to 20,000 vehicles daily through residential streets. That shift helped put Proposition G on the Nov. 3 ballot; it would allow cars on weekdays. Supporters report $130,000 in donations; opponents report $800,000, and Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman provided about half of that opposition total.
The measure could reshape daily travel for residents near the highway, commuters diverted onto side streets, and park users who value the car-free space. If weekday car access returns, nearby neighborhoods may see less cut-through traffic, while cyclists and pedestrians could lose some car-free coastal access. The campaign finance gap may influence how widely each side reaches voters, though the outcome may hinge on local turnout and how residents weigh convenience against open-space benefits.