Last week was an exciting and historic week for our city. The Board of Supervisors, in a special joint meeting with the SFCTA, voted 7-4 to approve Mayor Breed’s legislation to make John F. Kennedy Drive in Golden Gate Park a permanent car-free promenade.

The meeting started at 9am and the final vote didn’t take place until 9pm after over 9 hours of public comment. Out of 506 commenters, 350 people shared their love and support for JFK Drive. Supervisors Mar, Preston, Haney, Mandelman, Ronen, Stefani and Melgar all voted to approve the Mayor’s plan.

The Mayor’s legislation stipulates that JFK Drive may remain closed to private vehicle traffic as long as accessibility improvements are made under the supervision of SFMTA and Rec and Park. This was a major point of contention and discussion last Tuesday. Supervisors Stefani and Mar introduced amendments that will require city officials to provide quarterly reports for two years, beginning in July, about their progress improving Golden Gate Park parking options, access for disabled people and other related initiatives. 

This win is the result of decades of work from previous and current SF Bicycle Coalition staff, volunteers, community members, and advocates. It took the passion of many people to achieve this monumental milestone in San Francisco history. And this is just the beginning.

We will continue our efforts to create a network of sustainable transportation throughout the city that will transform how San Franciscans get around. We envision a network of connected car-free and car-lite spaces all over the city. 

Let’s take this energy and momentum and continue to take strides for our safety and health. With your support today, we can make this vision a reality. Donate now