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San Francisco voters keep Great Highway car-free and expand mayor's power

San Francisco voters keep Great Highway car-free and expand mayor's power

Rule Changes San Francisco, CA local

Voters kept the coastal park car-free, passed Mayor Lurie's charter changes, and sent Scott Wiener to Congress.

4 days ago: Proposition G rejection widens to 64.8%

Overview

Updated 3 days ago

San Francisco voters rejected Proposition G 64.8% to 35.2%, keeping the Upper Great Highway closed to cars and Sunset Dunes Park in place. About 241,000 ballots have been counted on the measure.

The same election passed Mayor Daniel Lurie's charter measures, sent Scott Wiener to Congress with 55% of the vote, and approved a five-county transit sales tax expected to raise about $1 billion a year.

Why it matters

A car-free coastal park stays put, City Hall shifts more power to the mayor, and San Francisco gets a new member of Congress.

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Key Indicators

64.8%
Share voting No on Proposition G
With 240,969 votes counted, 156,141 opposed reopening the Great Highway and 84,828 supported it.
55.5%
Scott Wiener's share in California's 11th District
Axios reported 97,876 votes for Wiener to Connie Chan's 78,594, with an estimated 57% counted. The Standard's precinct analysis put his citywide share at 55%.
70.6%
Support for Measure A
Measure A reorganizes commissions and advisory bodies, a Lurie-backed change.
61%
Yes vote on the five-county transit tax
The sales tax is expected to raise about $1 billion a year for BART, Muni, AC Transit and Caltrain. San Francisco's rate rises 1%, against 0.5% in the other four counties.

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People Involved

Scott Wiener
Scott Wiener
California state senator and candidate for U.S. Congress
Congressman-elect; preparing for a January 3 swearing-in
 Daniel Lurie
Daniel Lurie
Mayor of San Francisco
Won approval for his charter measures D, E and F; Measure A also passed
 Connie Chan
Connie Chan
San Francisco supervisor and congressional candidate
Conceded the District 11 race to Scott Wiener on November 4
 Alan Wong
Alan Wong
San Francisco supervisor for District 4
Supported a compromise on the Great Highway; Proposition G failed
LL
Lucas Lux
Chair of Friends of Sunset Dunes
Celebrated Proposition G's defeat
EP
Eliza Panike
Field director for No on G and Sunset District resident
Campaign against Proposition G succeeded

Organizations Involved

Friends of Sunset Dunes
Friends of Sunset Dunes
Advocacy group
Opposed Proposition G; supports Sunset Dunes Park

A group that supports the car-free park on the former Great Highway.
San Francisco Department of Elections
San Francisco Department of Elections
Local government agency
Counting remaining ballots from the November 3 election

The city agency that runs San Francisco elections and counts ballots.

Timeline

November 2024 November 2026

11 events Latest: 4 days ago Showing 8 of 11
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. Proposition G rejection widens to 64.8%

    Latest Election

    With 240,969 votes counted, 156,141 opposed reopening the Great Highway and 84,828 supported it. The No on G campaign outraised the Yes side about 10 to 1.

  2. Precinct maps show Lurie's charter measures passing

    Election

    Most precincts voted to pass Propositions D, E and F, according to The San Francisco Standard's analysis, with some Mission precincts dissenting on all three.

  3. Elections office counts 50,062 more mail ballots

    Election

    The Department of Elections said about 86,700 ballots remained to be processed, including 76,700 vote-by-mail and 10,000 provisional ballots.

  4. Wiener names priorities ahead of Washington orientation

    Statement

    Congressman-elect Scott Wiener said reversing Medicaid cuts would be the first focus after the January 3 swearing-in, and that he wants to cut funding for ICE operations.

  5. Updated count: Proposition G fails; Wiener leads 55.4% to 44.6%

    Election

    About 185,000 ballots were counted, with more expected in the days ahead.

  6. Connie Chan concedes District 11 race to Scott Wiener

    Concession

    Chan conceded after preliminary results showed Wiener ahead by about 17,000 votes.

  7. Election Day: Proposition G fails and Wiener leads

    Election

    Early returns showed Proposition G behind and Scott Wiener ahead in the congressional race.

  8. Precincts along the Great Highway flip toward the park

    Analysis

    The San Francisco Standard reported that the seven precincts next to the park went from 40% support in 2024 to 58% voting no on Proposition G in 2026.

  9. Five-county transit sales tax passes with 61%

    Election

    Voters in five Bay Area counties approved a sales tax expected to raise about $1 billion a year for BART, Muni, AC Transit and Caltrain. The increase is 1% in San Francisco and 0.5% in the other four counties.

  10. Wong fails to get Great Highway measure on June ballot

    Campaign

    Supervisor Alan Wong did not meet the required threshold of signatures from colleagues.

  11. Voters pass Proposition K, closing Great Highway to cars

    Ballot measure

    San Francisco voters approved a permanent car-free stretch of the Great Highway, creating Sunset Dunes Park.

Scenarios

1

Scott Wiener wins California's 11th Congressional District

Likely Resolves by Dec 1, 2026

Discussed by: Mission Local, ABC7 News

Preliminary results show Wiener ahead by about 17,000 votes, and Connie Chan has conceded. The remaining ballots are unlikely to close that gap. The race will be certified by the California Secretary of State.

2

Proposition G fails final count, keeping Sunset Dunes car-free

Likely Resolves by Dec 1, 2026

Discussed by: SFist, KQED, Mission Local

About 65% of counted ballots opposed Proposition G. The measure would have reopened the Great Highway to cars on weekdays. Final results will be certified by the San Francisco Department of Elections.

3

Mayor Lurie's ballot measures take effect

Likely Resolves by Jan 15, 2027

Discussed by: Mission Local, SFist

Precinct results show Propositions D, E and F passing across most of the city, with dissent concentrated in the Mission. They reorganize commissions, change contracting rules, and expand mayoral authority. The Board of Supervisors must certify the results before they take effect.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

November 2024

San Francisco Proposition K (2024)

San Francisco voters approved Proposition K, permanently closing a two-mile stretch of the Great Highway to cars and creating Sunset Dunes Park. The vote was citywide, but residents nearest the road mostly opposed it.

Then

The road became a park, and the city began adding amenities like art sculptures and a skate park.

Now

The closure became a central issue in west-side politics, leading to Proposition G in 2026.

Why this matters now

Proposition G was a direct attempt to reverse Proposition K. Its defeat means the 2024 decision stands.

2020

Pandemic-era Great Highway closure (2020)

During the COVID-19 pandemic, San Francisco closed part of the Great Highway to cars to create space for recreation. The city later adopted a compromise that kept the road open on weekdays and closed it on weekends.

Then

The closure gave residents a car-free space along Ocean Beach.

Now

The compromise set the stage for the 2024 vote to make the closure permanent.

Why this matters now

Proposition G would have returned to the weekday-open, weekend-closed model. Voters rejected that approach.

Sources

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SFist ABC7 News KQED Mission Local Axios San Francisco SF.gov NBC Bay Area The San Francisco Standard Patch Bay Area Chronicle San Francisco News Axios San Francisco The San Francisco Standard Bay Area Chronicle KQED