Update: We are thrilled that San Francisco voters said no to Proposition I, opposing an $80 million wall on Ocean Beach!
Greenbelt Alliance encouraged residents of San Francisco to vote no on Proposition I, which would have reversed 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.
Additionally, Proposition I would have removed the 1.5-miles of car-free space on JFK Drive in Golden Gate Park and would put traffic back on the car-free sections of MLK Drive and Bernice Rogers that together create a safe corridor through the entire park.
The measure would have also ended car-free space on the Great Highway on weekends, prevented the planned Great Highway Extension closure to address coastal erosion and sea level rise, and transfered control of the Great Highway from SF Recreation & Parks to the SF Department of Public Works.
A No Vote on Proposition I means:
- Investing in our future that address our changing climate
- Reducing our impact on sensitive ecosystems
- Making active, sustainable transportation a reality in San Francisco
Why We Opposed Proposition I
Proposition I would have been bad for our health and for our environment. After SPUR led environmental organizations, community stakeholders, and public agencies to develop this landmark community-driven, comprehensive vision to address sea level rise, protect infrastructure, restore coastal ecosystems, and improve public access, called the Ocean Beach Master Plan, Proposition I would have thrown away this vision and millions of dollars of already completed work.
Spending $80 million on just one obsolete road is bad, but spending $80 million to build a massive seawall that could cause irreparable damage to Ocean Beach is far worse.
Supporting active transportation–walking and cycling–makes us healthier and happier and is a key strategy of our City’s Climate Action Plan. If we can’t even keep JFK Promenade as a safe and popular place for people to walk and bike instead of one of our most dangerous streets, how will we meet any of our other climate change targets?
Others Who Opposed Proposition I
- SPUR
- San Francisco League of Conservation Voters
- Livable City
You can dive into the details of what this transfer tax increase means for San Francisco here.
Learn more about Proposition I here.
Photo: David Yu via Flickr
