Since San Franciscans decidedly voted in favor of Proposition K back in November, we’ve been excitedly waiting for the day we realize the vision of our city’s newest park. City agencies and stakeholders have worked tirelessly towards that vision too, working through the many steps required to transform an underutilized road into a thriving park space.
Luckily, the preparations are almost complete and the grand opening is coming on April 12, 2025!
The Upper Great Highway will officially and permanently be closed to vehicle traffic starting Friday, March 14, 2025. Between March 14 and the grand opening on April 12, there will be a lot of construction happening on the Great Highway and immediately surrounding it. SFMTA will redo the intersections of Sloat and Lincoln, SF Public Works will do their annual sand relocation, and the new park features will be installed. If you are biking or walking in the area during this month, please move with caution and patience.
Your San Francisco Bicycle Coalition will be providing free valet bike parking at the grand opening on April 12. Come find us and say hi! We will also be providing some activities, including our ever-popular Freedom From Training Wheels drop-in class.
The city is working on other crucial upgrades to the project in the meanwhile.
Traffic improvements: A new traffic signal was installed at 41st Ave and Lincoln Way, intersecting with Chain of Lakes. This was a confusing, 4-way stop intersection, now with the traffic light, it will be more clear to navigate and will help reduce congestion. SFMTA will continue to tweak the intersection as they observe traffic patterns.
Repaving: The Department of Public Works completed their sewer and repaving project on Sunset Blvd as of January. The project includes adding new curb ramps and bus stops, repaving the entire stretch of Sunset Blvd and more. The completion of this project will help improve the flow of traffic as cars are diverted from the Upper Great Highway to Sunset Blvd. We have heard from the SFMTA that Sunset Blvd is actually under its carrying capacity for cars, so it will easily absorb redirected cars.
New bike infrastructure: The SFMTA is working on improvements to Sloat Blvd. Now with the California Coastal Commission’s approval, construction on the Sloat Blvd Quick-Build, which was approved by the SFMTA Board in July 2023, will finally begin this spring. This includes a new two-way protected bike lane, pedestrian improvements, and bus islands. The SFMTA has also installed a new traffic signal at Sloat Blvd and Skyline Blvd to reduce congestion and confusion and improve visibility and safety of people walking and biking in this intersection.
Improved intersections: The SFMTA is also working on redesigning the intersections of Great Highway & Lincoln and Great Highway & Sloat. Since the creation of a permanent Ocean Beach Park will forever change the way cars move through those two intersections, they need to be restructured to address this change. The Board of Directors approved in December creating a U-turn with a stop sign at Sloat and Great Highway for vehicles and traditional traffic signal phases at Lincoln and Great Highway for vehicles to turn separate from people walking and biking. They will also add designated bike lanes to reduce mixing of vehicles and bikes.
Friends of Ocean Beach Park are working around the clock to provide activation and art to the new park. There will be murals, sculptures, playground facilities, bike racks, benches, a pump track, and more installed in time for the grand opening.
Notably, the Recreation and Parks Department has decided, with stakeholder input, to designate the ocean-side lanes of the new park as a slow space, while the city-side lanes will be a shared path (similar to the multiuse path in the Panhandle). The goal is to create a shared space like the JFK Promenade that isn’t too rigidly dictated, but also encourages users to be alert and aware of their speed and surroundings.
Follow us and Friends of Ocean Beach Park on social media to get the latest updates. @sfbike @oceanbeachpark
