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Supervisor Alan Wong said he would sponsor a ballot measure to roll back Proposition K.
The issue of whether the Upper Great Highway should reopen to cars is increasingly likely to go back to voters in 2026, two years after Proposition K passed to convert the road into a coastal park.
Nearly three weeks after he was sworn in to represent District 4, Supervisor Alan Wong announced Friday that he would sponsor a supervisor-led ballot measure to reopen the highway, which has since been transformed into the Sunset Dunes park.
Wong said he wants to return to how the highway was used before Prop. K, with the road open to cars during the week days and reserved for pedestrians on weekends.
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“I believe my values aligned with the majority of Sunset residents to support reopening the Great Highway on weekdays,” he said. “As a result, I’m prepared to be one of the four supervisors needed to sponsor a ballot initiative to restore that compromise.”
Three other supervisors are needed to sign on to Wong’s effort. Progressive Supervisor Connie Chan previously said she supports sending the issue back to voters, while Supervisors Shamann Walton and Chyanne Chen have expressed interest in reconsidering the closure.
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But Wong’s announcement seemed to catch his colleagues by surprise. Chan told The Standard she was not aware of the announcement and did not commit to endorsing the measure. Walton’s office also said he’s not a solid yes to Wong’s proposal. Chen said she needs time to review the details and consider community input before making a decision.
Wong made the announcement when filing papers to run in 2026 for a full term representing the Sunset. He had avoided taking a firm position on the issue but faced pressure to support a referendum on it from constituents who were outraged at Prop. K’s passage.
“As a new District 4 supervisor, it is my responsibility to heal a divided community, and that’s why it is my commitment to always listen before I act,” Wong said during his Dec. 1 swearing-in ceremony. “I will always hear my constituents before moving forward with major policy decisions.”
In last year’s November election, 55% of the electorate voted yes on Prop. K, which permanently banned car traffic on a two-mile stretch of the road. Sunset Dunes opened this spring, and a skate park, benches, and art installations have since replaced the cars.
The issue was a flashpoint that led to the September recall of Supervisor Joel Engardio, who supported putting Prop. K on the ballot and has become the leading champion of Sunset Dunes.
An overwhelming majority of his district rejected Prop. K, and 62% of those who turned out for the recall election voted to oust him from office. Engardio nonetheless said he will continue to advocate for the park and will fight any effort to reopen the road to traffic.
“The park is popular, traffic is fine, and before long a majority everywhere will see how Sunset Dunes is good for the environment, local businesses, and the well-being of everyone enjoying the coast in new ways,” Engardio said Friday. “San Francisco cannot be the most progressive city that fears change. Let’s be the most progressive city that improves the lives of our residents by embracing the future.”
Lucas Lux, president of Friends of Sunset Dunes, said the group was “deeply disappointed” with Wong and criticized him for moving forward on the proposal without community input.
“We believed that he was serious when he said he wanted to help restore trust after a divisive few years in the Sunset. Instead, he’s doing the opposite: claiming he’d listen to constituents while actively turning his back on them,” Lux said. “This is unacceptable and we, along with thousands of Sunset Dunes volunteers and supporters in District 4 and across the city, will do everything we can to protect the park we love.”
Kevin Truong can be reached at [email protected]
Hannah Wiley can be reached at [email protected]
Han Li can be reached at [email protected]
