San Francisco, California: Voters Reject Proposition G and Sunset Dunes Stays a Park on the Great Highway

SAN FRANCISCO (Orbit Post) San Francisco voters have settled the fight over the Great Highway for the third time in four years. Proposition G, the measure that would have brought cars back to the Upper Great Highway on weekdays, failed on Tuesday, and Sunset Dunes stays a park.

Preliminary results with all precincts reporting showed the measure losing 62.65 percent to 37.35 percent, the Richmond Review and Sunset Beacon reported. The San Francisco Chronicle called the race, USA Today reported, and the count at 11 p.m. on Tuesday stood at 109,160 votes against reopening, or 62.8 percent, and 64,656 in favor, or 37.2 percent.

What Proposition G would have done

The measure, titled the Great Highway for Everyone Act, would have reopened a two mile stretch of the Upper Great Highway between Lincoln Way and Sloat Boulevard to cars and trucks on weekdays. Sunset Dunes would have stayed a park on weekends and holidays, when the road would have closed to vehicles from Friday evening to Monday morning.

Supporters put the measure on the ballot by petition after an earlier attempt at the Board of Supervisors fell short. Organizers submitted 15,924 signatures, more than the 10,615 required, and the Department of Elections certified the measure on July 23.

Reopening was not cheap. A City Controller's Office analysis dated August 10 put the one time cost at 9.8 million dollars, with annual costs between 500,000 dollars and 1.9 million dollars. The No on G campaign raised 1,612,220 dollars, nearly ten times the 166,475 dollars raised by Yes on G, according to San Francisco Ethics Commission figures reported by the Richmond Review.

Reaction from both camps

"We're so grateful that San Franciscans rejected Prop. G, making it clear after a six year debate that Sunset Dunes is here to stay," said Lucas Lux, campaign manager for No on G.

Otto Pippenger of the Yes on G campaign pointed to the funding gap. "Money is the greatest predictor," Pippenger said. He shared no plans for another attempt to reopen the road as of Tuesday evening.

District 4 Supervisor Alan Wong, who backed reopening, said he respected the decision. "My focus moving forward will be on addressing the neighborhood impacts of the permanent closure," Wong said in a statement carried by CBS News. "Whether a resident supported Proposition G or opposed it, I will continue working with all residents and City departments to ensure the Sunset residents' concerns are heard and that practical improvements are made on the surrounding streets."

Joel Engardio, the former supervisor who championed the park and was recalled by District 4 voters over it, wrote after the vote: "Now that we've voted on this issue three times in four years, it's time to accept that Sunset Dunes is here to stay."

A road that became a park

The Great Highway was fully closed to vehicles during the stay at home orders at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, then reopened to traffic on weekdays. In 2022, voters rejected Proposition I, which would have restored full time car access, by 65.11 percent to 34.89 percent. In 2024, voters approved Proposition K by 54.73 percent to 45.27 percent, closing the road to cars for good.

The city spent about 820,000 dollars turning the road into Sunset Dunes, which opened on April 12, 2025. Sensors counted more than 1.7 million visits in the park's first full year, according to Recreation and Parks Department figures reported by the Richmond Review.