San Francisco, California, Proposition I, Allow Private Vehicles on JFK Drive and Connector Streets in Golden Gate Park Initiative (November 2022)

San Francisco Proposition I
Election date November 8, 2022
Topic Local transportation
Status Defeated
Type Initiative

San Francisco Proposition I was on the ballot as an initiative in San Francisco on November 8, 2022. It was defeated.

A "yes" vote supported allowing private motor vehicles on John F. Kennedy Drive and connector streets, known as the JFK Promenade, except from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays and legal holidays as well as on Saturdays from April through September.

A "no" vote opposed allowing private motor vehicles on John F. Kennedy Drive and connector streets, known as the JFK Promenade, except from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays and legal holidays as well as on Saturdays from April through September, thereby maintaining current law providing for the closure of these roads to use the area as recreational open space.

Election results

San Francisco Proposition I
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		102,689	34.89%
No		191,641	65.11%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Proposition I was as follows:

“

Shall the City allow private motor vehicles on John F. Kennedy Drive and connector streets in Golden Gate Park at all times except from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays and legal holidays year-round, as well as on Saturdays in April through September, allow motor vehicles in both directions at all times on the Great Highway and not allow the City to remove the Great Highway between Sloat and Skyline boulevards as proposed?

”

Full Text

The full text of this measure is available here.

Support

Arguments

• San Francisco Labor Council, Coalition for San Francisco Neighborhoods, and Fiona Ma, California State Treasurer: "It’s time to restore access for all. Prop I reopens the Great Highway and restores Sunday, holiday, and partial Saturday closures of JFK Drive to allow for equitable access to Golden Gate Park."
• Coalition for San Francisco Neighborhoods, District 11 Council, Concerned Residents of the Sunset, East Mission Improvement Association, and Save Our Amazing Richmond: "Restoring these streets to pre-pandemic conditions and returning the Great Highway back to its intended use will make surrounding streets safer, and return access to people with disabilities, families, and seniors so that everyone can enjoy the park and can commute safely."
• Older Women's League - Political Action Committee and San Francisco Gray Panthers: "While being outdoors is critical for everyone, it's especially essential for seniors. Research shows that spending time in green, outdoor spaces greatly improves seniors' health and wellbeing. It is already challenging for seniors to live and thrive in San Francisco. Many live in apartments and depend on our open spaces for recreation. Prop I will restore access to Golden Gate Park to everyone, especially seniors who need it most."
• The Arc San Francisco and Access Advisory Support Group of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco: "The closures of JFK Drive and other park roads has eliminated nearly 1,000 free public parking spaces in the park, including many blue zones and van accessible spaces. This has prohibited people from driving along JFK Drive and has made it difficult for some and impossible for others to access key attractions including the de Young Museum, the California Academy of Sciences, the Dahlia Dell, the Conservatory of Flowers, the Rose Garden, and the Winter Lights shows. Excluding over 80,000 San Franciscans from easily accessing our parks and beaches is unacceptable and does not align with San Francisco's proud history of inclusivity."
• San Francisco Labor Council for Latin American Advancement and San Francisco Living Wage Coalition: "The closure of JFK Drive has reduced access to Golden Gate Park for many working families. Working families from distant neighborhoods and outlying Bay Area communities are detrimentally affected by the no-car policy. The closure greatly hinders their ability when bringing family members and all their belongings to enjoy the various elements of Golden Gate Park. With the elimination of nearly 1,000 free public parking spaces, the park is less affordable and less accessible. Many employees working and volunteering at the park institutions have also suffered trying to carry out their work duties with the closure."
• San Francisco Taxpayers Association: "We need a common sense approach to the use of our beautiful landmark Golden Gate Park and the Beach and Prop I is that solution. The roadways everywhere in our City are maintained from the gas tax from every gallon of gas we purchase. Skateboards and bicycles pay zero for upkeep of these roadways. We welcome the latter to enjoy them, but not to the exclusion of the vast majority who drive motor vehicles and "pay the freight" to maintain the roads and highways."

Opposition

Arguments

• Supervisor Matt Dorsey, Supervisor Gordon Mar. Supervisor Myrna Melgar, Supervisor Dean Preston, and Supervisor Hilary Ronen: "Prop I will force the City to change a multi-agency comprehensive shoreline management and protection plan to address sea level rise, improve public access and recreation, and construct a low-profile seawall to protect critical wastewater infrastructure. Dede Wilsey's ill-conceived measure irresponsibly overturns critical climate change-indiced and essential infrastructure improvements that are meant to protect westside residents and visitors from coastal erosion. Prop I would also overturn the current Great Highway compromise, which provides for use of the roadway by cars Monday through Friday, and safe, protected use by people on the weekends, requiring the city to allow cars every day of the week. Our City needs more safe, protected open space, not less."
• San Francisco Democratic Party: "With 5,000 parking spaces inside Golden Gate Park, the City's 21-measure park accessibility program, and free accessible shuttle service on JFK Promenade seven days a week, we know the park welcomes everyone no matter how they choose to travel."
• San Francisco Bicycle Coalition: "Proposition I would take away the city's only significant street space without dangerous traffic. The hundreds of thousands of people using these spaces have shown how needed they are."
• San Francisco Marin Medical Society: "We have seen the importance of having designated safe spaces for people of all ages and abilities to be active. Space in our parks without dangerous traffic has provided people from San Francisco and beyond significant physical and mental health benefits during the pandemic. We would be short-sighted to throw these benefits away, especially when hundreds of thousands of people are using these spaces each month."
• Friends of Great Highway Park and Stephanie Linder, Chief Executive Officer, Gardens of Golden Gate Park: "Due to coastal erosion, the Pacific Ocean has been encroaching on one of the City's main water treatment plants for years. The adjacent Great Highway is falling into the Sea, and Proposition I would undo the careful restoration project that is underway on the Great Highway south of Sloat Blvd."
• San Francisco League of Conservation Voters: "Proposition I is bad for our health and for our environment. Proposition I reverses course on the Ocean Beach Climate Change Adaptation Program adopted by the City to protect the Westside's wastewater treatment infrastructure from coastal erosion. This last-minute reversal would force all San Francisco taxpayers to pay $80 million for a new ecologically-harmful wall on our Ocean Beach waterfront."

Path to the ballot

See also: Laws governing local ballot measures in California

This initiative was placed on the ballot through a successful initiative petition drive. A total of 8,979 signatures were required by July 11, 2022, to place an initiative ordinance on the San Francisco ballot in 2022. The measure was certified for the ballot on July 15, 2022.

How to cast a vote

See also: Voting in California

See below to learn more about current voter registration rules, identification requirements, and poll times in California.

How to vote in California

Poll times

All polls in California are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Pacific Time. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.

Registration

Check your voter registration status here.

To vote in California, an individual must be a U.S. citizen and California resident. A voter must be at least 18 years of age on Election Day. Pre-registration is available at 16 years of age. Pre-registered voters are automatically registered to vote when they turn 18.

Automatic registration

California automatically registers eligible individuals to vote when they complete a driver's license, identification (ID) card, or change of address transaction through the Department of Motor Vehicles. Learn more by visiting this website.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

California has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

California allows same-day voter registration.

Californians must be registered to vote at least 15 days before Election Day. If the registration deadline has passed for an upcoming election, voters may visit a location designated by their county elections official during the 14 days prior to, and including Election Day to conditionally register to vote and vote a provisional ballot, which are counted once county election officials have completed the voter registration verification process. The state refers to this process as Same Day Voter Registration.

Residency requirements

To register to vote in California, you must be a resident of the state. State law does not specify a length of time for which you must have been a resident to be eligible.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

California's constitution requires that voters be U.S. citizens. When registering to vote, proof of citizenship is not required. Individuals who become U.S. citizens less than 15 days before an election must bring proof of citizenship to their county elections office to register to vote in that election. An individual applying to register to vote must attest that they are a U.S. citizen under penalty of perjury.

As of November 2024, two jurisdictions in California had authorized noncitizen residents to vote for local board of education positions through local ballot measures. Only one of those jurisdictions, San Francisco, had implemented that law. Noncitizens voting for board of education positions must register to vote using a separate application from the state voter registration application.

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment. Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The secretary of state's My Voter Status website allows residents to check their voter registration status online.

Voter ID requirements

California does not require voters to present identification before casting a ballot in most cases. However, some voters may be asked to show a form of identification when voting if they are voting for the first time after registering to vote by mail and did not provide a driver license number, California identification number, or the last four digits of their social security number. On September 29, 2024, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed SB 1174 into law prohibiting any jurisdiction in the state from adopting a local law that requires voters to present ID before voting.

The following list of accepted ID was current as of October 2024. Click here for the California Secretary of State page to ensure you have the most current information.

“

Current and valid photo identification provided by a third party in the ordinary course of business that includes the name and photograph of the individual presenting it. Examples of photo identification include, but are not limited to, the following documents: driver's license or identification card of any state; passport; employee identification card; identification card provided by a commercial establishment; credit or debit card; military identification card; student identification card; health club identification card; insurance plan identification card; or public housing identification card. Any of the following documents, provided that the document includes the name and address of the individual presenting it, and is dated since the date of the last general election…: utility bill; bank statement; government check; government paycheck; document issued by a governmental agency; sample ballot or other official elections document issued by a governmental, agency dated for the election in which the individual is providing it as proof, of residency or identity; voter notification card issued by a governmental agency; public housing identification card issued by a governmental agency; lease or rental statement or agreement issued by a governmental agency; student identification card issued by a governmental agency; tuition statement or bill issued by a governmental agency; insurance plan card or drug discount card issued by a governmental agency; discharge certificates, pardons, or other official documents issued to the individual by a governmental agency in connection with the resolution of a criminal case, indictment, sentence, or other matter; public transportation authority senior citizen and disabled discount cards issued by a governmental agency; identification documents issued by governmental disability agencies; identification documents issued by government homeless shelters and other government temporary or transitional facilities; drug prescription issued by a government doctor or other governmental health care provider; (R) property tax statement issued by a governmental agency; vehicle registration issued by a governmental agency; or vehicle certificate of ownership issued by a governmental agency.

”

See also

Local measures

• Local measures in 2022
• Local zoning, land use, and development on the ballot

California

• California 2022 local measures
• Local ballot measures, California
• San Francisco, California

News and analysis

• State and local preemption conflicts
• Measures advancing national agendas