Frequently Asked Questions

In April 2020, the Great Highway from Lincoln Way to Sloat Boulevard was closed to car traffic under a mayoral emergency order to allow for safe, socially distanced recreation.

In August 2021, the City adjusted the emergency order to open the promenade only on weekends, from Fridays at noon until Mondays at 6 am, plus city holidays.

In November 2022, 65% of San Francisco voters rejected a ballot proposition (Proposition I) that called for full-time private vehicle use of the Great Highway.

In December 2022, the Board of Supervisors legislated a formal pilot instructing the SF Recreation and Parks Department to use the Great Highway as a weekend promenade for three years.

In November 2024, a majority of San Francisco voters voted for Proposition K, which created Sunset Dunes Park as a permanent park.

On April 12, 2025, Sunset Dunes Park opened. Rec & Park reported nearly 2 million visits in the park’s first year.

All of them. Roads open to cars cannot have park features on them like playgrounds, skate parks, or even benches to sit down. All park features would be removed and the road would be restored to what it looked like before Prop K.

In short: very little. Trips that previously used the Great Highway are being made using a parallel arterial - Sunset Boulevard - with minimal change in commute time. The most impacted trips take 2-4 minutes longer during rush hour, in line with the projections before Prop K. 

No. According to publicly available data, crashes are down in the nearby neighborhood since the park opened. Reporters from Mission Local concluded: “city data shows that there has been no increase of traffic injuries in District 4 since the road closure.” Data from the SFMTA also shows minimal increases in traffic volume on residential streets.

According to the City Controller, removing all park features and restoring a roadway will cost taxpayers $10M upfront and up to an additional $1.9M every year in additional maintenance costs for a coastal road. That’s $20M over five years.

Yes - the closure of the southern end of the Great Highway—due to coastal erosion—has already been legislated, and the southbound lanes have already closed forever. The northbound lanes are pending closure once the Zoo entrance has moved to Sloat, which is projected to occur this Fall.

Yes! While around two thirds of Sunset residents voted against the creation of Sunset Dunes in 2024, Sunset residents are now the largest group of park users, and polling shows that around half of Sunset residents would vote against closing the park to reopen a road.

Come take a look around the Outer Sunset and you’ll see No on G signs everywhere because we love the park: 83% of the homes on the streets near the park that are taking a stand with a window sign are supporting No on G.

Yes - this will be the third time. Voters rejected a 2022 ballot measure sponsored by park opponents, which required the Great Highway to be used exclusively as a roadway 24/7. In 2024, voters approved Proposition K, which directed the city to use the former Upper Great Highway as a public park.

Community planning has already begun to transform Sunset Dunes into a world class coastal park. More than 3,000 people participated in the first round of community feedback surveys, open houses, and meetings. The planning cannot continue in earnest until the fate of the coast is settled (again) by voters by rejecting Prop G.

$709,000 according to information obtained from the Rec & Parks Department. This amount does not include private donations or funds provided by a CA Coastal Conservancy grant for ecological planning studies for the park.

Yes. If you want to enjoy ocean views from your car, the Great Highway north of Lincoln Way remains available, which has an over 400-car parking lot stretching from Fulton to Lincoln and additional free parking with iconic views on the hill towards Sutro Baths.

The Great Highway from Lincoln to Sloat offered nowhere to stop, park, or even pull over, severely limiting its use for coastal access and recreational opportunities. Parking is available along two miles of the Lower Great Highway, less than 50 feet from the new park, including ADA-designated parking spaces at Judah and Taraval Streets. No parking spaces were removed as a result of Prop K.

Up to 65 times each year. And that is expected to get worse with climate change.

The Great Highway north of Lincoln, which connects the Richmond and Sunset neighborhoods, remains unchanged. Everyone can continue to drive between the Richmond and Sunset districts the same way they always have, including crossing Golden Gate Park on the Great Highway.

First responders always have full access to the park to respond to any and all emergencies, just like every other city park. The city's Fire Department and Department of Emergency Management confirmed before the park opened that "The Upper Great Highway is not a designated evacuation route and closing it to private vehicles will not change our existing emergency response protocols."