Should the ballot measure qualify, it’s likely to face steep opposition from cycling and walking advocates as well as prominent elected officials. City surveys found that 70% of residents supported car-free JFK.
In April, the Board of Supervisors voted to make John F. Kennedy Drive in Golden Gate Park car-free in perpetuity, ending months of contentious debate.
The measure, known as “Access for All,” still needs to be certified to begin signature-collection, after which point it will need to collect approximately 9,000 valid voter signatures to appear on the November 8 ballot. Disability advocates and the De Young Museum, which has attributed a decline in visitors to the street closure, have been some of the loudest voices in opposition to car-free JFK. The De Young has also launched a web portal called “Access for All,” where it provides a link for museum visitors to share their discontent regarding JFK with city officials.
The measure would allow JFK to remain car-free on Sundays, holidays, and Saturdays for half of the year, as it was before the pandemic. Temporary closures along the affected streets would be permitted for special events like Bay to Breakers and Outside Lands.