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Golden Gate Park’s John F. Kennedy Drive has been blocked off to vehicle traffic since the start of the pandemic, and on Tuesday night San Francisco‘s Board of Supervisors voted to keep it that way.
In a special meeting with the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, the board voted 7-4 in favor of Mayor London Breed’s legislation to permanently close the 1.5-mile stretch to cars. Those who supported the legislation sided with advocates who said a car-free JFK was in line with the city’s commitment to safer streets and clean air.
Supervisors Connie Chan, Shamann Walton, Ahsha Safaí and Aaron Peskin opposed the legislation. Chan and Walton sponsored a competing proposal that would implement one-way traffic between Eighth Avenue and Transverse Drive and two-way car traffic on Conservatory Drive behind the Conservatory of Flowers.
Supervisors Matt Haney, Dean Preston and Rafael Mandelman co-sponsored Breed’s legislation.
“Today is a historic day,” Breed wrote on Twitter Tuesday night. “The Board just voted to make JFK Drive permanently car-free. An essential space for our residents and families that is now, a long-term benefit to this city. We still have work to do, but passing this legislation is where we begin to make real change.”
Luke Bornheimer, a KidSafe SF organizer, called it a “huge win for a more connected, health and sustainable San Francisco.”
The vote followed a marathon meeting with nine hours of public comment in person at City Hall and over the phone. A highlight included SF musician John Elliott who sang in favor of a car-free JFK “”on behalf of the dwindling community of musicians in San Francisco, and the 50% of San Franciscans who rent their homes and do not own a car.”
“Keep it car-free so the kids can play,” Elliott sang at the podium while strumming his guitar. “Car-free to scoot and skate and ride. Car free so we can all have a place to safely move outside. Car free for 100 years.” (For a complete look at everyone who spoke at the meeting, visit the The Frisc’s Twitter feed.)
The majority of comment was in favor of keeping the car-free promenade, but critics argued that a permanent closure would cut off park access to people who are disabled, elderly or live farther away while benefiting select bicyclists and runners.
Some people called for closing the road to vehicle traffic on weekends only and said drivers commuting to work and transporting kids to school needed access during the week.
“To close down portions of the park says to a certain geography, says to a certain class of people, says to a certain race of people here in San Francisco that you weren’t welcome before and you’re still not welcome,” Board President Shamann Walton, who represents one of the most diverse and low-income parts of the city, said at the meeting.
The de Young Museum released a statement earlier this year on its website saying that the closure has disproportionately impacted members of the community with limited mobility.
“While it is great for those who can walk or bike to the de Young, it negatively impacts a significant group of our local community, including people with disabilities, those with ADA placards, the elderly, families with infants and young children, and others,” the museum said.
JFK Drive between Kezar Drive and Lincoln Way was closed to cars and other vehicles in April 2020 to create a safe place for people to bike, walk and run with social distancing.
The SFMTA and Recreation and Park department implemented a survey to see how residents felt about the street closure and gathered feedback over eight months. Both agencies found that 70% of the 10,000 respondents supported keeping JFK Drive permanently free of cars.
Bay City News and the Associated Press contributed to this story.
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