The debate over pedestrian street closures is amping up.
Cyclists and dog walkers alike take advantage of the Great Highway closure alongside Ocean Beach just after 3 p.m. on Thursday, June 17, 2021, amid a Bay Area heat wave.In April of 2020, the city of San Francisco blocked off the Great Highway and JFK Drive in Golden Gate Park to cars, giving pedestrians a safe haven for outdoor activities during the earliest days of the pandemic.
Last week, a 15-minute documentary advocating for continued street closures was uploaded to YouTube by. The group that has been sharing testimonials from San Franciscans in hopes of influencing city supervisors in their impending decision. In addition to stressing the ways the initiative bolsters community, the documentary attempts to address many issues that critics have with the program, including that the closures restrict access to Golden Gate Park for disabled people and those traveling from more distant corners of the city.
"We’re the Great Highway Skate Crew. We meet at Irving & Great Highway. ... I just wanted to see who would show. And I know over time, more people will, because I see so many skaters."In the film, one teenager identified as Kingston says she considers the park as a safe place to bike, away from the crime that takes place near her home.
"The ocean's a very powerful place. You don't get access to that if you're in a wheelchair or stroller. It's changed our lives," Holly says."Every city should be copying this and should be encouraging this," he says.